- India warns X over AI content.
- Grok AI misuse cited by ministry.
- Non-consensual images target women.
The Indian government has reportedly issued a formal notice to the social media platform X, demanding immediate action against the proliferation of “obscene and objectionable” material. According to the BBC Urdu, the notice was dispatched by India’s Ministry of Information Technology (IT), which highlighted serious concerns regarding content circulating on the platform that allegedly violates established laws concerning decency and obscenity. The ministry’s letter explicitly states that this objectionable material indicates a significant failure in X’s platform-level security measures and enforcement procedures.
The core issue revolves around the widespread misuse of artificial intelligence tools, particularly Grok AI. The ministry noted that users are reportedly exploiting this technology to generate, publish, and share sexually explicit images or videos of women without their consent, often utilizing fake accounts to execute these malicious acts. This unauthorized creation and distribution of explicit imagery targeting women is deemed a critical breach of technological responsibility and legal compliance. The IT Ministry emphasized that such activities demonstrate a severe lapse in enforcing security protocols and allowing the unlawful misuse of artificial intelligence.
Before the government’s formal intervention, political pressure had been mounting on the Ministry of IT. Priyanka Chaturvedi, a prominent Rajya Sabha member of the Shiv Sena, had previously written to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urging immediate measures. Chaturvedi stated publicly on X that AI applications are being used to create offensive and explicit images of women without their permission. She demanded that AI facilities like Grok must incorporate robust safeguards to prevent such violations of women’s dignity. She stressed that major technology companies must take full responsibility for the content facilitated by their tools.
Furthermore, Chaturvedi added a social perspective, expressing a wish that the men involved in such activities receive better education and training at home and in schools to prevent such “sick and depraved behaviour” in adulthood. The Ministry of IT has now officially instructed X India to undertake swift corrective action and submit a detailed compliance report to the government addressing these grave concerns about AI misuse and content moderation failures.