Brazil has ordered Elon Musk’s social media platform X to immediately stop its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, from generating sexually explicit deepfake images. The move adds to growing international pressure on Musk’s AI company, xAI, to tighten controls on the controversial tool.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, Brazil’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office, the National Data Protection Agency (ANPD), and the National Consumer Rights Bureau (Senacon) directed X to “immediately implement appropriate measures” to prevent Grok from producing sexualized or erotic content involving children, teenagers, and adults who have not given consent.
The agencies gave X five days to comply with the order or face legal action and possible fines.
Concerns Over Deepfakes
Authorities said the chatbot had been used to create sexualized deepfake images of women and children through simple text prompts. Deepfakes are digitally altered images or videos that make it appear as though a real person is shown in content they never actually participated in.
Brazilian regulators said that although X claimed to have deleted thousands of posts and suspended hundreds of accounts after receiving a warning last month, users were still able to generate inappropriate images using Grok.
Officials criticized the company for what they described as a lack of transparency in its response and failure to fully address the issue.
International Pressure Mounts
Brazil is not alone in taking action. Indonesia became the first country to completely block Grok last month over similar concerns. Meanwhile, Britain and France have also warned that they will continue to monitor and pressure the company after the chatbot reportedly produced a large number of explicit images.
X previously announced measures on January 15 aimed at preventing Grok from “undressing” images of real people in countries where such actions are illegal. However, it remains unclear in which countries these safeguards are fully active or how effective they have been.
According to the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), Grok generated an estimated three million sexualized images of women and children within just a few days when its so-called “Spicy Mode” feature was active.
Legal and Ethical Questions
The controversy has raised serious concerns about online safety, privacy, and consent. Experts warn that AI tools capable of producing sexualized deepfakes can cause severe emotional harm, damage reputations, and violate data protection and child protection laws.
Brazil’s regulators say their action is meant to protect citizens, especially minors, from exploitation and abuse in the digital space.
As the five-day deadline approaches, attention will be on how X responds — and whether the company can put in place effective safeguards to prevent further misuse of its AI technology.
