France: Investigation into X's Grok over Deepfakes

French authorities have launched an investigation into Grok, the AI tool of the X platform (formerly Twitter), following hundreds of complaints about the creation and publication of deepfakes of nude women. The complaints concern photos that were 'undressed' by Grok and posted on X, often showing the women in sexual poses.

The investigation was initiated after a complaint from parliamentarians, as thousands of non-consensual deepfakes of sexual content were created and published on the platform. Samantha Smith, a victim of the practice, said she felt 'dehumanized'.

The company xAI, behind Grok, initially responded with an automatically generated statement about 'old media lies,' but later stated that it is working to improve safeguards to block such requests.

In Britain, the Home Office is legislating to ban nudity tools, with prison sentences and fines for those who provide such technology. Ofcom requires technology companies to assess the risk of illegal content on their platforms.

The French investigation adds to an existing investigation into X regarding antisemitic statements and Holocaust denial spread through Grok.