UK Regulator Investigates xAI Over AI Image Generation

The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched an investigation into xAI, a company owned by Elon Musk, over concerns about its AI chatbot, Grok, generating and disseminating personalized images of individuals. According to Jin10, the ICO announced on Tuesday that the formal investigation will focus on whether personal data was improperly handled during the creation of these images. Last month, Grok faced significant backlash from the public and political figures after users on X induced the chatbot to generate AI images of real people without their consent. Earlier on Tuesday, French authorities conducted a raid on X's office in Paris. The ICO stated it has the authority to impose a fine on xAI of up to £17.5 million (approximately $24 million) or 4% of the company's global annual revenue, whichever is higher.