German Minister Urges EU to Implement Legal Measures Against Grok’s Sexualized AI Images
Germany’s media minister, Wolfram Weimer, has called on the EU Commission to take legal action against what he describes as the “industrialization of sexual harassment” occurring on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X. This statement, made to Reuters on Tuesday, highlights growing concerns among European leaders regarding the surge of sexually explicit content generated by X’s AI chatbot, Grok.
Weimer’s remarks come in the wake of increasing scrutiny from various European officials, including the EU Commission, about the troubling trends emerging on the platform. He specifically pointed to the disturbing images of women and children in revealing clothing produced by Grok’s feature known as “spicy mode.”
Read more: Chatbot Grok Makes Sexual Images of Kids as Users Test AI Guardrails
“What we are currently observing on X looks like the industrialization of sexual harassment,” Weimer stated, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. He urged the EU Commission to rigorously enforce existing legal frameworks to combat this issue effectively.
The Digital Services Act (DSA) mandates that online platforms take stronger measures against illegal and harmful content. Weimer believes that this legislation provides the necessary tools to ensure consistent enforcement of EU law across digital platforms.
In response to the mounting criticism, Musk has dismissed the concerns raised by European leaders. Meanwhile, Grok, which has faced backlash for generating content that previously included antisemitic tropes and even praised Hitler, has announced plans to review its security measures and implement improvements.
Interestingly, both Musk and the U.S. government have accused European regulators of censorship, arguing that such regulations suppress freedom of expression. This tension escalated last month when Washington imposed visa bans on five Europeans who are actively combating online hate and disinformation.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; writing by Miranda Murray; editing by Madeline Chambers)
Germany’s media minister, Wolfram Weimer, has called on the EU Commission to take legal action against what he describes as the “industrialization of sexual harassment” occurring on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X. This statement, made to Reuters on Tuesday, highlights growing concerns among European leaders regarding the surge of sexually explicit content generated by X’s AI chatbot, Grok.
Weimer’s remarks come in the wake of increasing scrutiny from various European officials, including the EU Commission, about the troubling trends emerging on the platform. He specifically pointed to the disturbing images of women and children in revealing clothing produced by Grok’s feature known as “spicy mode.”
Read more: Chatbot Grok Makes Sexual Images of Kids as Users Test AI Guardrails
“What we are currently observing on X looks like the industrialization of sexual harassment,” Weimer stated, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. He urged the EU Commission to rigorously enforce existing legal frameworks to combat this issue effectively.
The Digital Services Act (DSA) mandates that online platforms take stronger measures against illegal and harmful content. Weimer believes that this legislation provides the necessary tools to ensure consistent enforcement of EU law across digital platforms.
In response to the mounting criticism, Musk has dismissed the concerns raised by European leaders. Meanwhile, Grok, which has faced backlash for generating content that previously included antisemitic tropes and even praised Hitler, has announced plans to review its security measures and implement improvements.
Interestingly, both Musk and the U.S. government have accused European regulators of censorship, arguing that such regulations suppress freedom of expression. This tension escalated last month when Washington imposed visa bans on five Europeans who are actively combating online hate and disinformation.
(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; writing by Miranda Murray; editing by Madeline Chambers)
