Bangkok, Jan 12 (EFE).– Malaysian authorities have temporarily restricted access to Grok, the artificial intelligence (AI) tool linked to social network X, due to the generation of «obscene, sexually explicit» manipulated images by the chatbot, owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced in a statement on Sunday that it would immediately restrict access to the platform, without affecting the use of X, which is used by five million people in the Muslim-majority country.
The measure, similar to the one announced by Indonesia on Saturday, is due to the generation of «indecent, grossly offensive, and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors,» the Commission said.
According to the statement, Malaysia had asked X to implement «effective technical and moderation safeguards» to prevent AI-generated content that contravenes local legislation, to which Musk’s company responded with user-initiated reporting mechanisms.
This response, in Kuala Lumpur’s view, does not address the root of the problem and is insufficient to prevent harm or ensure legal compliance, so they opted for the temporary blocking of the chatbot, whose operation is being reviewed in several countries, including the United Kingdom.
The measures have taken effect in Malaysia and Indonesia, after X restricted the use of Grok for image editing to paid users on Friday, following days of complaints after it fulfilled user requests to alter images of other people and undress them without their consent.
«Anyone who uses Grok to make illegal content will face the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,» Musk said on X.
Grok is a free tool that allowed users to upload and edit photos, and it has fulfilled user requests to edit images of women and men and show them in bikinis or without clothes, which has unleashed a strong wave of complaints and grievances. EFE
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