Elon Musk has stated that he had no knowledge of any sexually explicit images involving minors being generated by Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by his company xAI, as the platform faces mounting global scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and civil society groups.

“I was not aware of any images of naked minors being generated by Grok. Absolutely not,” Musk wrote in a post on X late on January 14. His comment came amid a wave of backlash over reports that Grok had been misused to create sexually explicit and non-consensual images, sparking investigations and calls for bans across multiple countries.

Grok, launched in 2023, is an AI chatbot integrated with X (formerly Twitter) and also available as a standalone application. Its image-generation feature, branded as “Grok Imagine,” was introduced last year and includes a so-called “spicy” mode for adult users on paid accounts. Critics argue that inadequate safeguards allowed the tool to be abused, including the creation of explicit deepfake images involving women and, in some cases, minors.

Growing Global Pressure on xAI and X

In recent weeks, xAI and X have come under increasing pressure from governments and regulators across Europe and Asia. Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Grok and are pursuing legal actions against X and xAI, citing failures to prevent harmful and illegal content and to adequately protect users. Regulators in the United Kingdom have also opened investigations, while lawmakers in the United States have urged major app platforms to intervene.

Musk has repeatedly emphasized that Grok is programmed to refuse illegal requests and to comply with the laws of any country or jurisdiction in which it operates. “Clearly, Grok does not generate images automatically. It only does so in response to user prompts,” he wrote, reiterating his position that responsibility ultimately lies with those who misuse the tool.

Previously, Musk stated on X that anyone using Grok to generate illegal content would face the same consequences as someone uploading illegal material directly. However, critics argue that such statements do not absolve platform owners of responsibility to implement robust preventive measures.

Calls to Remove Grok from App Stores

The controversy escalated further when three U.S. Democratic senators—Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, and Edward Markey of Massachusetts—sent a letter on January 9 calling on Apple and Google to remove X and Grok from their app stores. The senators cited the spread of sexually explicit images created without the consent of women and minors.

In their letter, the lawmakers argued that both Apple and Google have clear app store policies prohibiting applications from creating, hosting, or distributing content that facilitates child sexual exploitation or includes pornographic material. “Ignoring serious misconduct by X would make your enforcement efforts a mockery,” the senators wrote, noting that both companies have previously removed apps for policy violations.

On January 14, a coalition of women’s rights organizations, technology watchdogs, and progressive advocacy groups echoed the call, urging Apple and Google to take immediate action. The coalition includes UltraViolet, the National Organization for Women, MoveOn, and ParentsTogether Action.

Jenna Sherman, campaign director at UltraViolet, told Reuters that the situation demands urgent attention. “We are imploring Apple and Google to take this extremely seriously. They are enabling a system in which thousands—if not tens of thousands—of people, particularly women and children, are being sexually abused through their app stores,” she said.

Organizations and Unions Cut Ties with X

The fallout has extended beyond regulators and advocacy groups. On January 14, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which represents approximately 1.8 million education workers, announced it would leave X entirely. AFT President Randi Weingarten described Grok’s lack of effective safeguards as “the last straw.”

“From tomorrow onward, we will no longer use X,” Weingarten said in a statement, highlighting concerns about child safety and the platform’s handling of harmful content.

Regulatory Action in the UK and Beyond

In the United Kingdom, regulators have taken a particularly firm stance. The country is set to criminalize the creation of sexually explicit images without consent, including AI-generated deepfakes. Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, has launched an investigation into whether Grok has breached its duty to protect users from illegal content under new online safety laws.

Liz Kendall, the UK’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, described non-consensual AI-generated sexual images as “weapons of abuse.” She warned that companies providing tools that enable such content could face severe penalties, including fines of up to 10% of global revenue and, in extreme cases, court orders to block access to their platforms.

“These companies could have acted earlier to ensure that this disgusting and illegal content could not be shared,” Kendall told Parliament.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that he had been informed X is taking steps to comply with UK law but added that the government would take further action if necessary. Shortly after Starmer’s remarks, Musk posted on X that Grok would always comply with the laws of the countries in which it operates.

Southeast Asia Takes a Hard Line

In Southeast Asia, authorities have moved swiftly. Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid, said the government views the creation and spread of non-consensual pornographic deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and digital security.

Alexander Sabar, Indonesia’s director general for digital space supervision, said preliminary findings indicate that Grok lacks effective safeguards to prevent users from creating and distributing explicit content based on real images of Indonesian citizens. He warned that such practices threaten privacy and personal image rights.

Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission has similarly cited repeated abuse of Grok to generate vulgar and explicit edits of images involving women and minors. The commission has ordered X and xAI to strengthen protective measures and stated that access to Grok will remain blocked until effective safeguards are in place.

Changes to Grok’s Image Features

In response to the backlash, xAI has restricted Grok’s image-generation and editing features to paid X users. While this move may reduce the volume of harmful content, critics argue it does not address the underlying problem and merely turns a dangerous capability into a premium service.

Experts note that other AI platforms, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, have implemented stricter bans on generating non-consensual sexual imagery and any content that could endanger minors.

An Ongoing Test for AI Governance

The Grok controversy highlights the growing challenges of governing generative AI tools that can be misused at scale. While Musk maintains that Grok is designed to follow the law and that misuse lies with individual users, regulators and advocacy groups argue that platform-level responsibility is unavoidable.

As investigations continue and legal pressure mounts, the future of Grok—and potentially X’s standing in multiple markets—may hinge on whether xAI can convincingly demonstrate that it can prevent abuse and protect vulnerable users in an era of rapidly advancing AI technology.