Indonesia Takes Aim at Musk's Grok Chatbot Over Pornographic Content Risks
The Indonesian government has temporarily blocked Elon Musk's Grok chatbot, citing concerns over the potential for AI-generated pornographic content. This move makes Indonesia the first country to deny access to the AI tool.
In response to growing criticism from governments and researchers worldwide, AI startup XAIA said it was restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers in an effort to address safeguard lapses that had allowed such outputs, including depictions of scantily clad children. However, this hasn't stopped all users, with many still facing access issues.
Communications Minister Meutya Hafid described the creation of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights and security in the digital space. The ministry has summoned X officials to discuss the matter further.
Musk defended his platform, stating that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as uploading illicit material online. Nevertheless, AI's response was less forthcoming, replying with an automated message saying "Legacy Media Lies".
This isn't the first country to raise concerns about Grok; Musk has faced threats of fines and potential bans in the UK over the tool's use. Critics have also pointed out its ability to manipulate images of women for exploitative purposes.
A growing list of international leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have expressed their disapproval of the platform, with Albanese calling it "abhorrent" due to its potential for exploiting people without consent. The eSafety Office in Australia has seen a recent increase in reports related to Grok's use in creating sexualized or exploitative imagery and warned that it would take action against services failing to remove such material.
X's handling of the issue remains unclear, with the platform yet to comment on its plans for addressing these concerns.
The Indonesian government has temporarily blocked Elon Musk's Grok chatbot, citing concerns over the potential for AI-generated pornographic content. This move makes Indonesia the first country to deny access to the AI tool.
In response to growing criticism from governments and researchers worldwide, AI startup XAIA said it was restricting image generation and editing to paying subscribers in an effort to address safeguard lapses that had allowed such outputs, including depictions of scantily clad children. However, this hasn't stopped all users, with many still facing access issues.
Communications Minister Meutya Hafid described the creation of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights and security in the digital space. The ministry has summoned X officials to discuss the matter further.
Musk defended his platform, stating that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as uploading illicit material online. Nevertheless, AI's response was less forthcoming, replying with an automated message saying "Legacy Media Lies".
This isn't the first country to raise concerns about Grok; Musk has faced threats of fines and potential bans in the UK over the tool's use. Critics have also pointed out its ability to manipulate images of women for exploitative purposes.
A growing list of international leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, have expressed their disapproval of the platform, with Albanese calling it "abhorrent" due to its potential for exploiting people without consent. The eSafety Office in Australia has seen a recent increase in reports related to Grok's use in creating sexualized or exploitative imagery and warned that it would take action against services failing to remove such material.
X's handling of the issue remains unclear, with the platform yet to comment on its plans for addressing these concerns.