Malaysia Rethinks Its Stance: Chatbot Grok Gets a Second Chance

Malaysia, one of the first countries in the world to block Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok, has now lifted its ban. Alongside Indonesia, the country swiftly decided to revoke the block. Initially, it was discovered that the technology was used to create sexually explicit deepfake images, including those of women and children. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) stated that restrictions would remain in place until X and parent company xAI prove they have taken the necessary precautions against abuse of this nature.

It seems Malaysian authorities took X at its word after the MCMC announced that Musk’s company had embraced essential safety measures. The agency affirmed it would continue to monitor the social media network, stating that any further security violations affecting users or Malaysian laws would be curtailed with utmost determination. Grok amended its policy regarding image editing, and on January 14 stated that it would no longer allow “editing images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis.”

The non-profit organization, the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), estimated that approximately 3 million sexually explicit images were created in Grok within an 11-day period between December 29 and January 9, including around 23,000 images of minors. According to recent developments, Malaysia has shown a cautious optimism about its future stance towards using AI technology responsibly, with the government actively participating in dialogue to bolster the ethical use of such innovations.