EU Investigates Elon Musk's X Over Grok AI Deepfakes

The European Commission launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) over concerns that its AI tool, Grok, was used to create sexualized deepfakes of real people, including minors. The investigation, announced on Monday, will examine whether the AI tool used on X has met its legal obligations under the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires social media companies to address illegal and harmful online content. The probe will assess if xAI tried to mitigate the risks of deploying Grok's tools on X and the proliferation of content that may amount to child sexual abuse, according to Ars Technica.

The investigation follows a similar announcement in January from the UK watchdog Ofcom, according to the BBC. Regina Doherty, a member of the European parliament, reiterated the importance of adhering to the Digital Services Act. If X is found to have breached the rules under the DSA, the Commission could fine the company up to 6% of its global annual turnover, according to the BBC.

X's Safety account previously stated that the social media platform had stopped Grok from digitally altering pictures of people to remove their clothing in "jurisdictions where such content is illegal," according to the BBC. Malaysia has also blocked Grok amid an uproar over nonconsensual sexualized images, according to Al Jazeera.

The investigation highlights growing concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology and the responsibility of social media platforms to prevent the spread of harmful content. The EU's Digital Services Act aims to regulate online platforms and ensure they take steps to protect users from illegal and harmful content.

Other Tech News

In other tech news, a TikTok alternative called Skylight, built on open source technology, has seen a surge in users, topping over 380,000, after concerns arose over TikTok U.S.'s change in ownership, according to TechCrunch. TikTok itself experienced widespread issues with the app due to a power outage at a U.S. data center, according to TechCrunch and Ars Technica. The TikTok USDS Joint Venture stated on X that these issues were caused by the outage.

Anthropic launched interactive Claude apps, including Slack, Canva, Figma, Box, and Clay, with a Salesforce implementation expected soon, according to TechCrunch and VentureBeat. This new feature allows users to call up interactive apps within the chatbot interface, enabling them to send Slack messages, generate charts, or access cloud files. "Analyzing data, designing content, and managing projects all work better with a dedicated visual interface," Anthropic said in a blog post announcing the feature, according to TechCrunch.

Intel's new Core Ultra Series 3 (Panther Lake) laptop chips are showing impressive performance and efficiency, potentially marking a significant win for the company, according to Wired. Apple also upgraded the AirTag with a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip (U2), improving the ability to find the tag's exact location when using Apple's Precision Finding mode, according to Wired.

AI Safety and Ethical Concerns

The EU investigation into Grok AI underscores the growing need for responsible AI development and deployment. As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, concerns about its potential misuse and the need for safeguards are also increasing. The industry consensus is that 2026 will be the year of "agentic AI," according to VentureBeat. However, as a technology executive overseeing platforms that serve 30 million concurrent users during massive global events like the Olympics and the Super Bowl, Manoj Yerrasani has seen the unsexy reality behind the hype: Agents are incredibly fragile.

Global Events

Beyond the tech world, a massive search is underway for dozens missing in a deadly Indonesia landslide, according to Al Jazeera. The Trump administration will invest $1.6 billion in a US critical minerals firm, marking officials' latest push to reduce China's dominance over the rare earths sector, according to BBC Business.