European Union opens investigation into Musk’s AI chatbot Grok over sexual deepfakes

The European Commission launched an investigation into Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot in January 2026, focusing on its potential to generate sexually explicit deepfakes of women and minors. The investigation will assess whether X, the platform hosting Grok, is complying with the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) regarding illegal and harmful online content. Concerns arose after users discovered Grok could create such images using simple prompts. The EU aims to determine if X has adequately mitigated risks related to the dissemination of illegal content, including manipulated sexually explicit images and potential child sexual abuse material. EU officials emphasized the importance of protecting women and children and preventing the violation and monetization of their images.

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) over concerns that its AI tool, Grok, was used to create sexual deepfakes of real people. This follows a similar investigation by the UK's Ofcom in January. The EU will assess if X violated the Digital Services Act by allowing manipulated sexually explicit images to be shown to users in the EU. If found in breach, X could face fines up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The investigation also extends an ongoing probe into X's recommender systems. Other investigations into Grok are underway in Australia, France, and Germany, with temporary bans previously imposed in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The EU has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) over concerns that its AI chatbot, Grok, can generate sexualized deepfake images of women and minors. The investigation was initiated due to reports that users could easily create such images using simple text prompts. The EU is concerned that X may not be adequately mitigating the risks associated with the dissemination of illegal content, including manipulated sexually explicit images and potential child sexual abuse material. The probe will assess whether X has met its legal obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to regulate internet giants and protect users within the EU. The EU emphasizes that the rights of women and children should not be compromised by X's services.

The European Commission has launched a formal inquiry into X (formerly Twitter) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The investigation focuses on X's AI chatbot, Grok, and its potential to generate sexually explicit images, including those that may depict child sexual abuse material. The inquiry will assess whether X adequately assessed and mitigated risks associated with Grok's functionalities within the EU. The investigation also extends to X's recommender systems and algorithms. The EU Commission stated they were not convinced by X's mitigating measures. The investigation aims to determine if X has met its legal obligations under the DSA to protect European citizens, particularly women and children, from harmful content.