Malaysia and Indonesia have become the first countries to block access to Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, after concerns arose over its ability to generate sexually explicit deepfakes. Grok, a feature on Musk’s X platform, allows users to create images but has recently been used to manipulate photos of real individuals in compromising situations, often featuring them in revealing clothing.
The Southeast Asian nations expressed fears that Grok could be used to produce harmful and non-consensual images, especially involving women and children. This led to the decision to block the tool in both countries, with other nations, including the UK, showing increasing pressure to follow suit. The UK’s technology secretary has publicly supported banning Grok, accusing the tool of suppressing free speech, a claim Musk vehemently denied.
Malaysia and Indonesia’s communications ministries issued statements announcing their actions against Grok over the weekend. Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Commission noted that it had earlier issued warnings to X, seeking stronger measures to prevent the platform’s misuse after finding repeated instances of harmful content generated by Grok. X’s response, according to the commission, failed to address the risks inherent in the platform’s design, focusing instead on the reporting process.
As a result, Malaysia has blocked Grok until X implements proper safeguards to prevent misuse, urging the public to report harmful content. Indonesia’s digital affairs minister, Meutya Hafid, joined in condemning the use of Grok to create explicit content, calling it a violation of human dignity and online safety.
Indonesia has also previously cracked down on other platforms like OnlyFans and Pornhub, and the country’s strict policies against online pornography are being extended to cover AI tools like Grok. Indonesian users have voiced anger over manipulated images circulating on X, with some, like Kirana Ayuningtyas, sharing personal experiences of being targeted by inappropriate image manipulation.
Ayuningtyas, who uses a wheelchair and shares her experiences online, found that a stranger had requested Grok to alter one of her photos, asking it to depict her in a bikini. Despite her efforts to adjust privacy settings and contact the platform, the image remained online, leading to further embarrassment when more users accessed it.
Global leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have also condemned the use of Grok for generating explicit content. Starmer labeled it “disgraceful,” while UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall backed the move to block X if it continues to fail in complying with online safety laws.
In light of these developments, the world is watching closely as governments and regulatory bodies take action against harmful AI tools like Grok.
Adapted from BBC
