'Blame the user, not Grok': Elon Musk responds after India orders X to remove obscene AI posts

The advisory followed Meity noticing that social media platforms have not been strictly acting on obscene, vulgar, inappropriate, and unlawful content.

• Elon Musk warns Grok users will face consequences for generating illegal content
• Indian IT ministry orders X to remove obscene AI content or face legal action
• X must submit a detailed action report within 72 hours of the government order.

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Microblogging site X owner Elon Musk on Saturday said people using the platform's AI services Grok to make illegal content will face the same consequences as those uploading illegal content.

The statement from Musk comes a day after Ministry of Electronics and IT directed X to immediately remove all vulgar, obscene and unlawful content, especially generated by AI app Grok, or face action under the law.

"Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content," Musk said on X in response to a post on "inappropriate images".

The post said, "Some people are saying Grok is creating inappropriate images. But that's like blaming a pen for writing something bad. A pen doesn't decide what gets written. The person holding it does. Grok works the same way. What you get depends a lot on what you put in. Think about it!." Meity has directed X to take action against offending content, users and accounts.

The ministry has directed the US-based social media firm to submit a detailed action taken report (ATR) within 72 hours from the date when the order was issued.

The order said it has received from time to time, including through public discourse and representations from various parliamentary stakeholders that certain categories of content circulating on X may not be in compliance with applicable laws relating to decency and obscenity.

The direction from the government followed Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi letter to the Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking urgent intervention on increasing incidents of AI app Grok being misused to create vulgar photos of women and post them on social media.

The government order said "Grok AI" service developed by X is being misused by users to create fake accounts to host, generate, publish or share obscene images or videos of women in a derogatory or vulgar manner in order to indecently denigrate them.

On December 29, Meity asked social media firms to immediately review their compliance framework and act against obscene and unlawful content on their platform, failing which they may face prosecution under the law of the land.

The advisory followed Meity noticing that social media platforms have not been strictly acting on obscene, vulgar, inappropriate, and unlawful content.