Indonesia has temporarily blocked access to the artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, developed by xAI, citing concerns over the risk of generating pornographic content. The move makes Indonesia the first country to restrict access to the AI tool.
The decision comes amid growing criticism from governments and regulators in Europe and Asia over sexually explicit content linked to the application, with several authorities launching investigations into its use and safeguards.
xAI said on Thursday that it had decided to limit image generation and editing features to paying subscribers only, as part of efforts to close security loopholes that allowed the creation of sexual content, including images depicting minors in inappropriate clothing.
Indonesia’s Communications Minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement that the government views non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights and a threat to citizens’ dignity and safety in the digital space. The ministry has also summoned representatives of the social media platform X for discussions on the issue.
Elon Musk said in a post on X that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as those who upload unlawful material.
In response to a request for comment from Reuters, xAI replied with what appeared to be an automated message stating that “traditional media lies.”
The temporary ban highlights intensifying global scrutiny of generative AI tools, as governments seek to balance innovation with stricter controls to prevent misuse and protect users from harmful content.
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