The European Commission has officially opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly known as Twitter). They are mostly aiming the cameras on its AI tool Grok. This move comes after reports that Grok has been used to generate pornographic depictions of actual people. The investigation will look at whether these distorted photos have been spread to users inside the European Union.
This action comes on the heels of a scare tactic from the Grok account on X. They just recently proclaimed that their AI-powered tool created over 5.5 billion images within one month! This jaw dropping number has received the attention of regulators. Unsurprisingly, the Commission is taking a closer look at what it means for the generation of billions of images to be so pervasive.
Regina Doherty, a member of the European Parliament representing Ireland, emphasized the importance of the investigation, stating, “Those rules must mean something in practice, especially when powerful technologies are deployed at scale.” Doherty’s comments emphasize why there should be better and stricter accountability for AI tools that can generate dangerous or harmful material.
The inquiry will focus on whether Grok’s unique features have facilitated EU users posting or trading “manipulated sexually explicit images.” It seeks to understand how widespread this phenomenon is. This investigation mirrors a similar announcement made earlier this year by the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, which expressed concerns regarding Grok’s functionality and its potential misuse.
That’s why U.S. senator Marco Rubio recently took to The Hill to voice his concerns over the investigation. He thinks it could have broader impact on American tech companies. He stated, “The European Commission’s fine isn’t just an attack on X, it’s an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments.”
The European Commission’s scrutiny of Grok is part of a larger worldwide trend of increasing concern about the ethical use of AI technologies. Governments are having a hard time adapting to the rapid evolution of digital tools. Such an inquiry may lead to new regulations on specific AI applications in multiple jurisdictions.