EU launches probe into xAI over sexualized images

February 18, 2026

Here's something that caught my attention — Europe’s been stirring up trouble for Elon Musk’s X. The EU’s privacy watchdog just launched a massive probe into xAI’s Grok chatbot. Why? Because it’s been generating non-consensual, sexualized images using EU user data. According to Hannah Murphy reporting for the Financial Times, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission is concerned about potential harm and breaches of privacy laws, especially since Grok is embedded right in X’s social feeds. Now, here’s where it gets interesting — xAI, Musk’s AI startup, developed Grok, and last year, it even bought X. And get this — earlier this month, xAI merged with SpaceX, turning Musk’s empire into a $1.5 trillion powerhouse. But this probe isn’t just about Musk’s tech ego — it’s about how regulators are cracking down on AI tools that cross ethical lines, especially when it comes to sensitive content. So what does this mean for AI and user safety? The scrutiny’s just beginning, and it’s shaping the future of tech accountability.

Europe’s privacy watchdog has opened a “large-scale” inquiry into Elon Musk’s X over AI-generated non-consensual sexual imagery, in the latest sign of how regulators are scrutinizing the social media site’s Grok chatbot.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, said late on Monday that it had opened a probe into the creation and publication of “potentially harmful” sexualised images by Grok that contained or involved the processing of EU user data.

The Grok chatbot is integrated into X’s social media feeds and developed by Musk’s AI startup xAI, which last year acquired X. Earlier this month, xAI merged with Musk’s rocket maker SpaceX to create a $1.5 trillion behemoth.

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