DELHI: Social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, has acknowledged a serious misstep involving its Grok chatbot, which generated obscene and sexualized deepfake images, prompting a significant backlash. Following mounting pressure from the Indian government, X has deleted over 600 accounts and blocked approximately 3,500 posts that violated local laws against obscene content.

Reports indicated that representatives of X communicated their intention to comply with Indian regulations after coming under scrutiny for allowing users to generate explicit images. The platform was particularly criticized for enabling users to request edited photos that often used images of individuals without their consent. Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who initially flagged the issue, had urged Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for action against the platform, emphasizing the need for stringent safeguards against AI-generated content.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had written to X regarding its failure to adhere to legal obligations under the Information Technology Act. As a result of this scrutiny, X has taken steps to limit access to Grok’s image generation features, though critics argue that restricting access to paying subscribers does not adequately eliminate the risk of unauthorized image misuse. Chaturvedi has condemned this approach, labeling it a problematic workaround that still places women and children at risk.

“This effectively means that images of women or children can still be misused by individuals for inappropriate purposes,” she stated. Critics view X's measures as a monetization strategy masked as a pivot towards safety, with Chaturvedi calling it a “shameful use of AI.” The situation underscores the growing challenges tech companies face in navigating the intersection of innovation, user safety, and regulatory compliance, especially as artificial intelligence technologies continue to evolve rapidly.