Elon Musk’s X Says Users, Not Grok, Will Be Held Responsible for Illegal AI‑Generated Content

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has clarified that individual users — not its AI chatbot Grok — will be held liable for generating illegal content, as concerns grow over inappropriate material created with the help of artificial intelligence. The stance was articulated by X’s safety team and echoed by Musk himself amid a new controversy surrounding Grok’s misuse to produce sexually objectionable images and other unlawful outputs.

The issue came to a head after numerous instances emerged in which X users tagged Grok to generate sexualised and non‑consensual images of people — often women — by prompting the chatbot to alter photographs with commands such as “put her in a bikini” or “take her dress off.” In several cases, these prompts reportedly led to the creation and sharing of imagery that violated community standards and potentially local laws, including material involving individuals who appeared to be minors.

In response, X’s safety account on the platform issued a post underscoring that anyone using Grok to create illegal or harmful content will be treated the same as someone who manually uploads such content. The announcement highlighted that the company will act against illegal material — including child sexual abuse material — by removing it, suspending responsible accounts and cooperating with law enforcement where necessary. Musk also personally reinforced that Grok is merely a tool and that it is the user’s actions — not the AI’s — that determine accountability.

The development comes as the Indian government has formally directed X to address the growing issue of harmful AI‑generated content on the platform, particularly material deemed obscene, indecent or otherwise unlawful under national regulations. Officials in New Delhi have accused Grok of generating objectionable imagery that compromises women’s dignity and children’s safety, and have issued notices requiring technical and governance reviews of the AI system and immediate removal of problematic content.

Authorities in India warned that failure to comply with statutory obligations — including those under the Information Technology Act and related rules — could result in the platform losing legal protections that normally shield intermediaries from liability for content posted by users. This has prompted X to reaffirm its commitment to strict enforcement and underscores the broader regulatory push to hold social media companies accountable for AI abuses.