UK probes xAI over Grok chatbot content
The UK’s privacy watchdog has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI over concerns that its chatbot, Grok, may be mishandling personal data and generating harmful sexualised content.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said on Tuesday that the probe will examine both xAI and X Internet Unlimited Company, the Dublin-based entity responsible for X’s data operations in the European Union and European Economic Area.
The investigation follows reports that Grok had been used to generate non-consensual sexual imagery of real individuals, including children.
“The reported creation and circulation of such content raises serious concerns under UK data protection law and presents a risk of significant potential harm to the public,” the ICO said in a statement.
Separately, the UK’s media regulator Ofcom said it will continue its own ongoing investigation into X, as governments and regulators worldwide increase scrutiny of AI-generated sexually explicit material.
Regulatory pressure has intensified globally amid growing concerns over the misuse of generative AI tools to produce illegal or harmful content. Authorities in multiple jurisdictions are examining whether platforms deploying such systems have sufficient safeguards in place.
Meanwhile, Indonesia has lifted a temporary ban on Grok, allowing the chatbot to resume services after X Corp pledged to improve compliance with local laws. The ban had been imposed following the circulation of explicit images generated through the app, according to a government statement.
