Arya News - Britain Information Commissioner`s Office announced a new investigation into X over Grok`s generation of non-consensual sexualized images.
Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Britain is investigating X over its use of personal data for Grok AI and the chatbot"s generation of non-consensual sexualized images and videos of people, including children.
The Information Commissioner"s Office announced Tuesday that a formal investigation is underway. Britain"s regulatory body is probing into whether xAI and related entities have processed personal data lawfully and whether there are appropriate safeguards to stop Grok from manipulating images in a harmful way using personal data.
"The reports about Grok raise deeply troubling questions about how people"s personal data has been used to generate intimate or sexualized images without their knowledge or consent and whether the necessary safeguards were put in place to prevent this," William Malcolm, executive director of the regulatory risk and innovation arm of the ICO, said in a statement.
"Our investigation will assess whether XIUC and X.AI have complied with data protection law in the development and deployment of the Grok services. Where we find obligations have not been met, we will take action to protect the public."
Britain"s Office of Communications, the regulatory arm for broadcasting and telecommunications including internet communications, is also investigating Grok. On Tuesday, it shared updates on its investigation.
"In our investigation into X, we are currently gathering and analyzing evidence to determine whether X has broken the law, including using our formal information-gathering powers," it said in a press release.
Ofcom said it contacted X on Jan. 5, before launching its investigation on Jan. 12. It has remained in contact with X and the ICO.
Ofcom is not investigating xAI at this point but is continuing to assess whether it will or not. It said chatbots are not subject to regulation under Britain"s Online Safety Act under certain conditions, including if they are not user-to-user services, do not search multiple sites or databases and cannot generate pornographic content.
"Because of the way the Act relates to chatbots, as explained above, we are currently unable to investigate the creation of illegal images by the standalone Grok service in this case," Ofcom said in the press release.