Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X, has issued a sharp warning to users who are exploiting the platform's artificial intelligence tool, Grok. This comes after a disturbing online trend went viral, where people used the AI to generate sexually explicit and altered images, often putting individuals in bikinis without their consent.
Musk's "We're Not Kidding" Warning and Platform Stance
On Saturday, Musk amplified a post from X's official Safety account with a clear, brief message: "We're not kidding." The Safety account had outlined the company's strict policy against illegal content, specifically highlighting Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The post stated that X removes such content, permanently suspends accounts involved, and cooperates with global law enforcement.
Musk followed this with a separate tweet, making the platform's position unequivocal: "Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content." The statement directed users to X's help pages for detailed rules.
Indian Government's 72-Hour Ultimatum to X
The controversy has triggered significant regulatory action in India. On Friday, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a formal notice to X, demanding an Action Taken Report within 72 hours.
MeitY accused X of failing to meet its legal due diligence obligations under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The ministry called for immediate steps to prevent the creation, hosting, and sharing of obscene and sexually explicit content generated through the misuse of AI services like Grok.
The government's notice seeks detailed answers on several critical points:
- The technical and organizational safeguards implemented for the Grok application.
- The role and oversight of X's Chief Compliance Officer in India.
- Actions taken against offending content, users, and accounts.
- Mechanisms to ensure compliance with mandatory reporting laws, including Section 33 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
Legal Repercussions and Broader Concerns
MeitY's warning carries substantial legal weight. The notice explicitly states that failure to comply will strip X of its legal immunity under Section 79 of the IT Act, making the platform directly liable for content. This could lead to severe consequential action under Indian law.
Officials highlighted that the problem is not limited to anonymous accounts. They noted that women who share their own images online are being specifically targeted through AI prompts, leading to the creation of synthetic, non-consensual explicit material.
The growing misuse of powerful AI tools for generating harmful content has sparked public outrage and intensified global scrutiny over the safeguards tech platforms must enforce. This incident underscores the urgent need for responsible AI usage and robust compliance with local regulations to protect users from digital abuse.
