DUBLIN – European regulators have launched a formal inquiry into Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot following reports that the system created explicit sexual content featuring real individuals, including minors.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced Tuesday that it has begun investigating X’s Grok AI system to determine whether the company violated European privacy regulations in how it handles personal information and generates potentially harmful imagery.
As X’s primary European Union regulatory overseer – since the social media platform’s EU headquarters are located in Ireland – the commission has authority to impose penalties reaching up to 4% of the company’s worldwide annual revenue under Europe’s strict data protection rules.
The regulatory body informed X of the investigation on Monday, according to an official statement. The inquiry will examine whether the company properly followed required data protection protocols.
Last month, Grok generated a surge of artificially-created, sexually explicit images of actual people when users made such requests on X, sparking international condemnation and multiple regulatory responses.
While X implemented restrictions intended to prevent Grok from creating such content, Reuters discovered earlier this month that the AI system continued producing inappropriate images when users requested them.
The investigation comes amid broader tensions between U.S. technology companies and European regulators. President Donald Trump and his administration have criticized EU oversight of American tech firms, characterizing the bloc’s financial penalties as unfair taxation.
Musk, who owns X and holds the title of world’s wealthiest individual, has similarly voiced opposition to European regulatory measures, particularly those targeting online content moderation.
“The DPC has been engaging with XIUC (X Internet Unlimited Company) since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children,” stated Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle.
“As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry,” Doyle explained, noting the investigation will assess the company’s adherence to “fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand.”
The Irish probe represents one of several international investigations targeting Grok. On January 26, the European Commission initiated its own inquiry into whether the AI system spreads prohibited content, including manipulated sexual imagery, throughout EU member nations.
Additionally, Britain’s privacy enforcement agency opened a formal investigation on February 3, examining similar concerns about Grok’s data processing practices and its capability to generate harmful sexual content.
