Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot is facing renewed scrutiny after acknowledging failures in its content safeguards that allowed the generation of sexualized images of minors.
The admission followed complaints from users on X who reported that the AI tool produced altered images depicting children in minimal clothing.
Grok said the content resulted from lapses in safeguards and stated that fixes were being implemented urgently.
The chatbot described child sexual abuse material as illegal and prohibited, warning that companies could face penalties if they fail to prevent such content after being alerted.
In a post on X, Grok said there were isolated cases where users prompted for and received images depicting minors in minimal clothing.
It added that while safeguards exist, improvements are ongoing to block such requests entirely.
Screenshots shared by users showed Grok’s public media tab displaying images that were allegedly altered through user prompts.
An xAI technical staff member, Parsa Tajik, acknowledged the issue, writing, “Hey! Thanks for flagging. The team is looking into further tightening our gaurdrails.”
Grok later said that most cases could be prevented through advanced filters and monitoring, while noting that no system is fully foolproof.
The chatbot also linked users to reporting resources for child sexual exploitation in some responses.
The incident has drawn attention from regulators in multiple countries.
French ministers reported the sexually explicit content generated by Grok to prosecutors, calling it manifestly illegal, and also notified the national media regulator to assess compliance with European Union digital rules.
In India, the IT ministry said X failed to prevent misuse of Grok to generate obscene and sexually explicit content and ordered the company to submit an action taken report within three days.
Grok responded to users that it complies with applicable laws and advises against violations.
When asked for comment by news organizations, xAI replied with the message “Legacy Media Lies.”
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission did not immediately comment, while the Federal Trade Commission declined to respond.
Despite repeated controversies, including past incidents involving antisemitic and racially charged responses, xAI continues to secure partnerships.
Grok was recently added to a U.S. Department of Defense AI platform and serves as a chatbot for prediction markets.
The latest episode underscores ongoing concerns about the ability of AI systems to prevent harmful misuse.