India Cracks Down On Musk’s Grok; Global Backlash Over Sexualized Images

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – Elon Musk-owned X Corp is facing mounting global scrutiny over allegations that its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok is being misused to generate sexually explicit and non-consensual images of women, prompting Indian authorities to issue a formal warning and threaten legal action.

The controversy has intensified global debate over the unchecked misuse of generative AI, particularly tools capable of digitally removing clothing or fabricating explicit imagery of women who have no connection to the content being created. Regulators in multiple jurisdictions are now examining whether existing laws are sufficient to address what critics describe as a rapidly growing form of digital sexual exploitation.

India’s Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has served X Corp with a 72-hour notice, directing the company to immediately curb the creation and circulation of obscene, nude, and indecent content generated through Grok. The notice demands a detailed Action Taken Report outlining concrete steps adopted to prevent exploitation through the AI system.

In an official communication signed by Joint Secretary Ajit Kumar, the ministry warned that failure to act could invite prosecution under the Indecent Representation of Women Prohibition Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, both of which carry serious criminal penalties.

The government action follows a complaint by Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi, who wrote to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw alleging that Grok was being used by fake and anonymous accounts to digitally manipulate images of random women, stripping them of clothing and sexualizing them without consent. Chaturvedi described the practice as a criminal violation of privacy and dignity, warning that AI tools are being weaponized to exploit women at scale.

Concerns around Grok are not limited to India. According to a Bloomberg report, the chatbot itself acknowledged failures in its internal safeguards after responding to prompts by generating sexualized imagery involving minors. The AI admitted it had identified serious lapses and said it was rushing to correct them, calling such content illegal and strictly prohibited.

Indian authorities have made it clear that compliance is non negotiable, signaling that technology platforms will be held accountable if their AI systems are found enabling abuse, exploitation, or criminal violations under Indian law.