Malaysia restricts access to Grok AI amid growing concerns over sexualised AI images

Malaysia has moved to restrict access to Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, as controversy grows over the tool’s use in generating sexualised and manipulated images.

The action places Malaysia among a small but growing group of countries taking regulatory steps against generative AI tools they say lack sufficient safeguards.The restriction was announced by Malaysia’s communications regulator amid rising concern that Grok had been used to create explicit images, including content involving women and minors. The move follows similar action by Indonesia and adds to mounting international scrutiny of how AI image tools are being deployed and controlled.

Why Malaysia restricted access to Grok AI

Malaysia’s communications authority said it had temporarily restricted access to Grok after identifying repeated instances where the chatbot was used to generate obscene and sexually explicit images. According to the regulator, the content violated local laws governing indecent and harmful online material.The regulator said the restriction would remain in place until xAI and X, the social media platform where Grok is available, demonstrate that adequate safeguards are in place to prevent misuse.

Officials added that existing measures relied too heavily on user reporting rather than proactive controls.Malaysia has some of the region’s stricter content regulations, and authorities said the action was taken to protect the public from harmful digital material, particularly non-consensual and sexually explicit imagery.

Indonesia’s earlier action added pressure

Malaysia’s decision comes shortly after Indonesia temporarily blocked access to Grok, becoming the first country to do so.

Indonesian authorities said they acted after Grok was used to generate pornographic images, including deepfake-style content.Indonesia’s communications ministry summoned representatives of X to explain how Grok operates and what safeguards were in place. The country later restored limited access after discussions, but officials said further violations could lead to renewed restrictions.The Indonesian move is widely seen as a catalyst that encouraged other governments, including Malaysia, to take a closer look at Grok’s image-generation features.

Global scrutiny of Grok’s image generation

Grok has drawn international attention in recent weeks after users shared examples of sexualised images generated using the chatbot. Some of the images circulated online appeared to depict women without consent, raising concerns about privacy, exploitation, and abuse.Reuters has reported that the controversy triggered criticism from regulators and digital safety advocates in several countries, who argue that generative AI tools are evolving faster than the rules designed to govern them.In response to the backlash, xAI said it had limited certain image-generation features, including restricting image creation and editing to paying subscribers. Critics, however, said these steps did not address deeper concerns about how easily the technology could still be misused.

xAI and X response to the controversy

When contacted by Reuters about Malaysia’s action, xAI’s automated response stated, “Legacy media lies.” X did not immediately provide a detailed response to the regulator’s concerns.Elon Musk has previously defended Grok as a more open and less restrictive AI system, positioning it as an alternative to other chatbots that impose tighter content limits. The current controversy, however, has intensified questions about where to draw the balance between openness and safety.