MALAYSIA has temporarily restricted access to the Grok artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot after Indonesia became the first country to block the tool due to concerns over sexualized content.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) acted following repeated misuse of Grok to generate obscene, indecent, and non-consensual images, including depictions involving women and minors.
The move comes amid a growing international backlash against Grok, developed by xAI, with regulators in Europe and Asia investigating the AI for producing sexually explicit deepfakes.
The restrictions follow reports that users exploited a new image-editing feature to manipulate photos without consent, sometimes targeting minors. xAI has limited image-generation features to paying subscribers while attempting to address safeguard lapses.
Authorities in India and France have also demanded technical safeguards and opened investigations over potential violations of human rights and laws governing child sexual abuse material.
Malaysia’s step aligns with global efforts to curb AI misuse and protect digital safety. —Jan 11, 2025
Main image: AFP
