The eSafety Commission has reached out to X, the platform hosting Grok, seeking clarification on its compliance measures against misuse following a surge in reports of AI-generated sexualized and exploitative images of actual individuals.

Elon Musk, acknowledging the issue, stated he was not initially aware such images were being produced but assured that the platform would adhere to the legal requirements of each country.

“When requested to create images, Grok is programmed to reject any illegal content, as its core operating principle is to respect the laws of the respective country or state,” Musk explained.

He noted, “There might be instances where hacking attempts on Grok’s prompts lead to unforeseen results.”

“In such cases, we are committed to promptly addressing and rectifying the bug,” he added.

Musk further mentioned that Grok is permitted to generate images featuring upper-body nudity of fictional adults when the NSFW feature is activated, which he described as the norm in the United States.

“This will vary in other regions according to the laws on a country by country basis,” he said. 

After a surge of sexualised and exploitative images was generated of real women and children, governments and regulators around the world called for Musk’s platform to do more to combat abusive content.

The eSafety Commission has not confirmed whether it has received a response from X. 

But the platforms are required to meet safety obligations under the industry codes and standards, which include detecting and removing child sexual exploitation material and other unlawful material. 

The eSafety Commission, earlier this month, said it will use its powers, including removal notices, to take down illegal material.

“eSafety remains concerned about the use of the generative AI system Grok on X to generate content that may sexualise or exploit people, particularly children,” the online watchdog said.