Centre seeks more details from X on misuse of Grok AI for obscene content

New Delhi: The Centre has sought additional information from social media platform X over the alleged misuse of its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok to generate obscene and sexualised images of women, with officials saying the company’s initial response fell short of expectations.

Sources said on Wednesday that the IT Ministry asked X to spell out the specific actions taken against content linked to Grok AI and the safeguards planned to prevent similar incidents in the future. The request followed submissions made earlier by the Elon Musk-led platform in response to a government directive aimed at curbing the misuse of AI tools for creating indecent material.

According to sources quoted by PTI, the reply sent by X was “detailed, but not adequate,” as it did not clearly address what concrete measures had been taken in relation to the Grok-related content. Officials said crucial information was missing, particularly on enforcement steps and future controls.

X had been given additional time until Wednesday, 5 PM, to submit an action taken report after the ministry issued a stern warning over the generation of sexually explicit content through AI-based services such as Grok and similar tools.

In its submission, the company said it respects Indian laws and complies with all applicable guidelines, noting that India remains a significant market for the platform. It also outlined the content takedown policies it follows, especially in cases involving misleading information and non-consensual sexualised images. However, sources said the ministry remains dissatisfied, as the response did not sufficiently explain how the Grok AI issue was handled or what specific steps were taken to address the objectionable material. Officials are now awaiting further details from the platform.