Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok over its ability to create sexually explicit deepfakes.
Grok is a tool on Musk’s X platform that allows users to generate images. However, in recent weeks it has been used to edit images of real people to show them in attractive outfits.
The Southeast Asian country said Grok could be used to create indecent and non-consensual images involving women and children. They are the first in the world to ban AI tools.
The BBC has contacted the Grok platform for comment. Musk previously said critics of his platform were looking for “any excuse for censorship.”
Grok and its parent company
The communications ministries of Malaysia and Indonesia announced their move against Grok in separate statements over the weekend.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said on Sunday it had issued a notice to
But in its response, X failed to address the risks inherent in the design of its platform and focused primarily on the reporting process for users, the regulator said.
It said Grok would be blocked until effective security measures were implemented and urged the public to report harmful online content.
Meutya Hafid, Indonesia’s minister of communications and digital affairs, said in a post on Instagram that using Grok to create sexually explicit content is a violation of human rights, dignity and online safety.
The ministry has also asked Musk’s ex to clarify on the use of Grok.
Indonesian authorities have cracked down on other online sources of pornographic content in recent years, with platforms such as OnlyFans and Pornhub already banned in the country.
Indonesian X users who found their doctored photos on the platform said they were angry that it was allowed to happen.
Kirana Ayuningtyas, a wheelchair user who posts online about her daily experiences, found that a stranger had commented on her photo and asked Grok to draw her wearing a bikini.
Ayuntingtyas said Adjusted her privacy settings and contacted the platform to remove the image and prevent users from editing her photos.
“Unfortunately, none of these really worked,” he said, adding that it was difficult to tell if there was anyone out there holding the images.
She asked her friends to report the accounts that published fake photos of her, but doing so meant that even more people would see the edited images, which is extremely embarrassing for her.
British media regulator Ofcom is expected to decide soon what to do about Grok.
The use of Grok to create sexually explicit images has been condemned by leaders around the world, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called it “disgraceful” and “disgusting”.