Pankaj Jain
New Delhi, Jan 4 (UNI) Elon Musk has cautioned users against using Grok, the artificial intelligence tool on X, to generate illegal content.
In a post on X, Musk said that anyone using Grok to generate illegal material will face the same consequences as those who upload such content directly on the platform. He emphasised that AI-generated content will not receive special treatment when it comes to enforcement.
The clarification came after concerns were raised about the possible misuse of AI tools to produce unlawful material. Musk made it clear that AI-generated content will not be treated differently from user-uploaded content when it comes to enforcement.
In a related statement, X’s Safety channel reiterated that the platform takes strict action against, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The company said such content is removed immediately, accounts involved are permanently suspended, and cooperation is extended to local governments and law enforcement agencies when required.
The Safety channel further stressed that prompting or using Grok to create illegal content is a serious violation of X’s rules. Users involved in such activity will face the same penalties as those who upload illegal material manually.
On January 2, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a formal notice to X, flagging serious lapses in statutory due diligence under the IT Act and IT Rules. The government has raised concerns over the misuse of the platform’s AI tool, Grok, to generate and circulate obscene, sexually explicit and derogatory content, particularly targeting women and children, calling it a grave violation of dignity, privacy and digital safety.
MeitY has directed X to immediately review Grok’s technical and governance framework, remove all unlawful content, take action against offending users, and submit an Action Taken Report within 72 hours. The ministry warned that continued non-compliance could lead to loss of legal protection under the IT Act and strict action under multiple cyber, criminal and child protection laws.
MeitY expressed grave concern that such acts violate the dignity, privacy and safety of women and children, normalise sexual harassment online, and undermine the due diligence framework applicable to intermediaries operating in India.
The Ministry reminded X that compliance with the IT Act and IT Rules is mandatory and that legal protection under Section 79 of the IT Act is conditional upon strict adherence to due diligence obligations. It warned that hosting or sharing obscene or sexually explicit content, including through AI tools, can attract serious legal consequences under multiple laws.
MeitY has directed X to immediately review the functioning of Grok AI, enforce strict content moderation and AI usage policies, remove unlawful content without delay, and take strong action against violating accounts. The platform has also been asked to submit an Action Taken Report within 72 hours, detailing technical, organisational and compliance measures.
The Ministry cautioned that non-compliance may lead to loss of legal protection and further action under Indian law.
