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, January 12 — Malaysia and Indonesia have been the first nations to restrict access to Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot created by Elon Musk’s xAI, following reports that it was being exploited to generate explicit and non-consensual imagery.

The incident underscores increasing worldwide worry about generative AI technologies that can create convincing images, audio, and text, as existing protections are insufficient to stop misuse. Grok, accessible via Musk’s social media site X, has drawn backlash for creating altered images, including explicit portrayals of women and children.

Officials from several Southeast Asian nations stated that current regulations were inadequate in preventing the production and spread of counterfeit pornographic material, especially those aimed at women and children. Indonesia temporarily restricted access to Grok on Saturday, with Malaysia doing the same on Sunday.

“The government views non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a significant breach of human rights, dignity, and the security of individuals in online environments,” stated Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Meutya Hafid. She further mentioned that this initiative is intended to safeguard women, children, and the broader society from artificial intelligence-created explicit material.

Early investigations showed that Grok does not have proper protections to stop users from creating and distributing pornographic content using real photographs of Indonesian citizens, said Alexander Sabar, director general of digital space supervision. He cautioned that these actions could breach privacy and image rights, leading to psychological, social, and reputational damage.

In Malaysia, the Communications and Multimedia Commission implemented a temporary ban on Grok due to frequent abuse that resulted in explicit and non-consensual altered images, including material featuring women and children. The regulatory body mentioned that earlier warnings directed at X Corp. and xAI for enhanced protections mainly depended on user reports, which were found to be inadequate.

“The measure is a precautionary and balanced action as legal and regulatory procedures proceed,” the commission stated, noting that access will stay restricted until proper protections are put in place.

Introduced in 2023, Grok is available at no cost on X, enabling users to pose inquiries and create content, such as images via its Grok Imagine function. A “spicy mode” implemented last year has the capability to generate explicit material, which led to significant backlash.

Southeast Asian restrictions follow increased examination of Grok in the European Union, Britain, India, and France. Last week, the platform restricted image creation and modification to paying users after worldwide criticism regarding sexualized deepfakes, although opponents argue these actions are inadequate.