The eSafety Commission has reached out to the platform X, which hosts Grok, seeking clarification on how it is adhering to its responsibilities amid a surge in reports concerning the creation of sexualized and exploitative images of real people.

Elon Musk, the platform’s head, stated that he was previously unaware of such images being generated. However, he emphasized that the platform is committed to complying with local laws.

“When tasked with generating images, Grok will refrain from producing anything illegal, as its fundamental operating principle is to respect the legal framework of each country or state,” Musk explained.

He added, “There might be instances where adversarial hacking of Grok’s prompts leads to unforeseen outcomes.”

“Should such incidents occur, we are committed to promptly rectifying any bugs,” Musk assured.

Musk added that Grok is allowed to generate upper-body nudity of imaginary adults when the NSFW feature is enabled, which he said was the standard in America.

“This will vary in other regions according to the laws on a country by country basis,” he said. 

After a surge of sexualised and exploitative images was generated of real women and children, governments and regulators around the world called for Musk’s platform to do more to combat abusive content.

The eSafety Commission has not confirmed whether it has received a response from X. 

But the platforms are required to meet safety obligations under the industry codes and standards, which include detecting and removing child sexual exploitation material and other unlawful material. 

The eSafety Commission, earlier this month, said it will use its powers, including removal notices, to take down illegal material.

“eSafety remains concerned about the use of the generative AI system Grok on X to generate content that may sexualise or exploit people, particularly children,” the online watchdog said.