Malaysia Lifts Ban on Grok After X Takes Company at Its Word
Malaysian authorities have lifted the country's ban on Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, following assurances from the platform that it has implemented necessary safety measures to prevent misuse.
The decision comes after Malaysia and Indonesia were among the first countries to block access to Grok in early January due to reports of its use in generating deepfake images of people, including women and children. At the time, Malaysian authorities said restrictions would remain in place until X Corp and parent xAI could prove that they had enforced adequate safeguards against misuse.
However, after releasing a statement confirming that Musk's company has taken steps to ensure user safety, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission officials announced that they are satisfied with the measures put in place. The commission stated that it will continue to monitor the social media platform and take action if any further breaches of user safety or Malaysian laws occur.
Grok is currently the only AI chatbot to be banned in two countries, with Indonesia also restricting access to the platform. The UK regulator Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into X under the country's Online Safety Act, while a non-profit organization estimated that Grok generated approximately 3 million sexualized images between December 29 and January 9.
The ban on Grok is seen as a response to concerns over the platform's potential for misuse. In this case, Musk's company has since changed its image-editing policies, including restricting the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis.
Malaysian authorities have lifted the country's ban on Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, following assurances from the platform that it has implemented necessary safety measures to prevent misuse.
The decision comes after Malaysia and Indonesia were among the first countries to block access to Grok in early January due to reports of its use in generating deepfake images of people, including women and children. At the time, Malaysian authorities said restrictions would remain in place until X Corp and parent xAI could prove that they had enforced adequate safeguards against misuse.
However, after releasing a statement confirming that Musk's company has taken steps to ensure user safety, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission officials announced that they are satisfied with the measures put in place. The commission stated that it will continue to monitor the social media platform and take action if any further breaches of user safety or Malaysian laws occur.
Grok is currently the only AI chatbot to be banned in two countries, with Indonesia also restricting access to the platform. The UK regulator Ofcom has launched a formal investigation into X under the country's Online Safety Act, while a non-profit organization estimated that Grok generated approximately 3 million sexualized images between December 29 and January 9.
The ban on Grok is seen as a response to concerns over the platform's potential for misuse. In this case, Musk's company has since changed its image-editing policies, including restricting the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis.
. I mean, what's to stop Grok from generating fake news or spreading misinformation? And 3 million deepfakes in just a few days is crazy! 
How do we know that X Corp has actually implemented any real safeguards against this kind of thing?
. I'm glad Malaysia lifted the ban, but I still think these AI chatbots are a recipe for disaster. We need more regulation, not less 
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. Musk's got a history of pushing the boundaries with his tech, and this time around seems like he's just talking the talk 
. I'll believe it when I see some real action 
.
. I mean, while X Corp did say they'd take steps to ensure user safety, it's hard to trust a company like that after what happened with all those deepfake images 
. Like, 3 million? That's crazy! And now they're just gonna let Grok roam free again? It seems like a pretty big risk to me... 
. Plus, I'm still not convinced that Musk's idea of "user safety" really means anything in practice 
. Anyway, I guess only time will tell if Malaysia was right to lift the ban or if Grok is just gonna cause more problems down the line 
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. I guess thats the power of public pressure and scrutiny, makes companies sit up and take notice 
. But, what really bothers me is how many people were affected by Grok's misuse in the first place... 3 million sexualized images are a lot to brush off 
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. Anyways, glad Malaysia lifted the ban now that X Corp has promised to step up its game 
. Can't believe those 3 million images were generated by Grok in just 10 days... that's straight-up crazy 
. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's cool to have tech that can understand human language and all, but the fact that Musk's company has to be told to change its image-editing policies like a toddler throwing a tantrum is just sad 
.
. I get that we all have to evolve and adapt to new tech, but sometimes it feels like these companies are more concerned with getting ahead of the game than actually thinking about the consequences.
. And who knows, maybe one day AI will be so advanced that we won't even need to worry about it 
. But until then, let's just keep a close eye on these platforms and hope they don't turn out to be the digital equivalent of a bad 90s rom-com 
. I mean, 3 million sexualized images generated by Grok? That's just wild 
. And now it seems like X Corp has taken steps to address those concerns 
. Anyone else worried about AI chatbots gone rogue? 
i feel bad for elon musk though he's been thru so much with twitter and all 
and now our safety is legit protected 
. The fact that they've changed their policies too is a major win 
. Can't have AI chatbots generating deepfakes of people, especially women and kids 
. It's wild how fast the world moves with tech stuff 
. Glad we're seeing some action from authorities to keep us safe online 
. And what about the impact on smaller platforms? Are they going to feel pressured to lift bans on Grok as well?
That's just crazy talk! X Corp should be held accountable for that kinda thing 
. But I gotta say, it's great to see Elon Musk taking responsibility and making changes to his platform. Fingers crossed the ban is lifted in Indonesia too 
! Can't wait to get back to using Grok and seeing what kind of cool stuff X Corp has in store for us 
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But hey, at least the ban's been lifted now, and X Corp has promised to tighten up their safety protocols. Fingers crossed they actually follow through on that