Malaysia has become the latest nation to impose a temporary ban on the generative AI chatbot Grok, developed by Elon Musk's xAI. This decisive action follows a growing international outcry over the tool's ability to create and spread sexually explicit and non-consensual images, often targeting women and minors.
Malaysia and Indonesia Lead Regulatory Crackdown
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced the restriction on Sunday. This move came just a day after Indonesia became the first country in the world to block access to the controversial AI bot. The MCMC stated that the decision was a direct response to the repeated misuse of Grok to produce harmful content.
The commission highlighted that the tool was being used to generate "obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, grossly offensive, and non-consensual manipulated images, including content involving women and minors." Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, enforces strict laws against obscene and pornographic online materials and has recently increased scrutiny of internet platforms.
Inadequate Safeguards Prompt Government Action
According to the MCMC, it had issued formal notices to both X (formerly Twitter) and xAI earlier this month. The notices demanded the implementation of robust technical measures and content moderation systems to prevent such abuse. However, the responses from the companies were deemed insufficient.
The regulatory body found that the proposed solutions relied too heavily on users reporting harmful content after it was already published. The MCMC criticized this approach, stating it "failed to address the risks posed by the design and operation of the AI tools" themselves. The commission concluded that user-initiated reporting was not enough to prevent harm or ensure compliance with Malaysian law.
Access to Grok will remain restricted until the MCMC is satisfied that effective safeguards are in place. The commission added that it remains open to discussions with both firms to resolve the issue.
Global Backlash and xAI's Response
The crackdown by Southeast Asian nations is part of a wider global backlash against generative AI tools capable of creating deepfakes and explicit imagery. In a related development, xAI announced on Thursday that it would limit Grok's image generation and editing features to paying subscribers only. This was an attempt to address the lapses that allowed the creation of sexualized content on the X platform.
When Reuters sought comment on the Malaysian ban, xAI replied with what appeared to be an automated message: "Legacy Media Lies." X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This incident adds to the mounting pressure on AI companies to build safety into their products from the ground up. Meanwhile, Malaysia is also considering broader social media regulations, including a potential ban for users under the age of 16, to protect younger citizens from harmful online content.
