Canada to investigate reports of explicit images created by Grok

Canada’s privacy commissioner is expanding his investigation into X Corp. following reports that chatbot Grok is being used to create explicit images of people without their consent, according to a Thursday release.

Additionally, the commissioner will investigate xAI, the AI company responsible for Grok.

“The use of personal information without consent to create deepfakes, including intimate images, is a growing phenomenon that poses serious risks to individuals’ fundamental right to privacy,” reads a statement from Commissioner Philippe Dufresne.

“I have decided to expand my investigation to address this issue given its importance and the potential serious harms that it may cause to Canadians.”

The move follows an apparent trend on X where a wave of users prompted the on-board AI, Grok, to alter images of people to put them in revealing clothing. On Wednesday, California’s attorney general announced it would open an investigation into alleged nonconsensual sexually explicit material.

“xAI appears to be facilitating the large-scale production of deepfake nonconsensual intimate images that are being used to harass women and girls across the internet, including via the social media platform X,” reads a press release.

The announcement followed an “avalanche” of reports detailing non-consensual, sexually explicit material, according to the release, which classified the volume of reports as “shocking.”

“This material, which depicts women and children in nude and sexually explicit situations, has been used to harass people across the internet,” the release adds.

Grok follows local laws, says Musk

The same day, X announced via its @Safety account that it had blocked Grok’s ability to edit images to put people in revealing clothing “such as bikinis.” It also restricted image edit requests to paid users.

Elon Musk, who purchased Twitter in 2022 and transformed it into the platform known today as X, said he was unaware of “any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero.”

He also wrote the bot’s “operating principle” is to follow the laws of “any given country or state.”