Due to the exposure of artificial intelligence chatbot Grok generating vulgar and pornographic content, including altering images of women to create bikini images and involving sexualized content involving minors, the Indian government has issued an emergency rectification order to Elon Musk's X platform. On December 27 (Friday), the Ministry of Information Technology formally ordered X to submit a detailed remediation plan within 72 hours and to fully restrict Grok's ability to generate "nudity, sexual descriptions, explicit pornography, and other illegal content." If not complied with, the X platform will face the risk of losing its "safe harbor" legal immunity and could even be held criminally liable.

 The incident started: AI image manipulation caused public outrage

This action stemmed from multiple user reports and complaints by legislators. Indian legislator Priyanka Chaturvedi formally wrote to the government, pointing out that Grok was used to generate AI-modified images of female characters—inputting a regular photo, the AI automatically "changes the outfit" to a bikini style. More seriously, some generated content is suspected of sexualizing minors, causing strong public anger.

X platform admitted on Friday that there were "security vulnerabilities" and removed some images, but TechCrunch found that as of December 31, such violations could still be searched on the platform, highlighting the delay in rectification.

 Government's strict measures: 72-hour deadline for rectification, threat to revoke "safe harbor"

The Ministry of Information Technology explicitly required the X platform in its order:

- To immediately upgrade Grok's content filtering and image generation restriction mechanisms;

- To establish an active monitoring and blocking system for AI-generated content;

- To submit a written remediation report within 72 hours, detailing specific measures in technical and operational aspects.

The order specifically emphasized: "If not complied with, the platform, its officials, and users will be held legally accountable." According to Section 79 of the Indian IT Act, platforms can only be exempt from liability for user-generated content if they have "exercised reasonable care." Once found negligent, X will lose this key legal protection.

 Background: India is becoming a global testing ground for AI content regulation

This incident is not isolated. Just days before the rectification order was issued, the Ministry of Information Technology had already warned all social media platforms, reiterating that compliance with local content regulations is a prerequisite for legal liability exemption. As one of the world's largest digital markets (with over 800 million internet users), India is trying to establish its voice in global AI governance through strict enforcement.

It is worth noting that the X platform is currently challenging part of the government's content regulation authority in Indian courts, arguing that it carries "risk of abuse." However, facing the clear illegal facts of AI-generated content, X can no longer use "freedom of speech" as an excuse.

 AIbase Observation: The regulatory period for AI-generated content is entering a high-risk phase

The Grok incident reveals a serious reality: when large models are integrated into high-traffic social platforms, the spread and harm of their generated content increase exponentially. Compared to independent AI tools, Grok's content on the X platform can be viewed and shared instantly by hundreds of millions of users, making it highly politically and socially sensitive.

This action by India may become a global regulatory benchmark. If it successfully forces X to establish an "advanced filtering" mechanism for AI-generated content, other countries may follow suit, leading to international conventions where platforms take responsibility for AI-generated content.