EU Targets Musk’s Grok AI Over Sexualised Deepfakes of Minors

BRUSSELS — The European Union has launched a high-level review of Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, following reports that the tool was used to generate sexualised deepfake images, including images resembling minors.

EU officials said Monday the issue is being treated as a potential breach of European law. “This is illegal content and we are looking at it very seriously,” EU Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said, adding that such material has “no place on platforms accessible in Europe.”

The investigation follows widespread outrage over a Grok image-editing feature that allowed users to digitally alter photos to remove clothing or sexualise people. According to Al Jazeera, regulators flagged examples that appeared to depict children or child-like figures in explicit ways, prompting immediate concern from child protection authorities.

French prosecutors have now expanded an existing inquiry into X, Musk’s social media platform, to examine whether Grok’s outputs violated laws against child sexual abuse material. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed it is assessing whether criminal charges could apply, according to Dawn.

The scrutiny comes as X is already under pressure in Brussels. The platform was fined late last year for breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires companies to swiftly remove illegal content and assess systemic risks tied to their products. EU officials warned that further violations could lead to heavier penalties.

Britain has also entered the fray. The UK media regulator Ofcom has contacted X and xAI, seeking explanations over whether Grok breached safety obligations under British law. The Guardian reported that UK authorities are particularly focused on whether the tool facilitated non-consensual sexual imagery.

xAI said it has moved to tighten safeguards and block misuse, stating that generating sexual content involving minors is strictly prohibited. Critics, however, argue the protections came too late.

Digital rights groups say the case highlights a growing gap between fast-moving AI tools and slow-to-respond safety systems, a gap regulators now appear determined to close.

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