EU Opens Probe Into Elon Musk’s Grok Chatbot Over Digital Safety Concerns

The European Union has launched a formal investigation into Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s company xAI, over concerns that it may be violating the bloc’s digital safety and transparency rules.

According to EU officials, the probe is being conducted under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the landmark legislation aimed at regulating online platforms and artificial intelligence systems operating within the European Union. Regulators are examining whether Grok’s integration with Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly Twitter) complies with EU standards on content moderation, misinformation, and risk mitigation.

The investigation focuses on Grok’s ability to generate responses in real time using content from X, raising concerns about the spread of disinformation, hate speech, and harmful content, particularly during sensitive events such as elections and geopolitical crises. EU authorities are also assessing whether sufficient safeguards are in place to prevent the misuse of the chatbot.

DW reported that the European Commission said the inquiry seeks to determine whether X and xAI have conducted adequate risk assessments and implemented measures required under the DSA to protect users. “All AI systems deployed at scale in the EU must meet strict obligations to ensure transparency, accountability, and public safety,” the spokesperson said.

Elon Musk has previously promoted Grok as a more “truth-seeking” alternative to other AI chatbots, positioning it as less restrictive and more open in its responses. However, critics argue that fewer guardrails could increase the risk of harmful or misleading outputs, particularly when the chatbot draws from unfiltered social media content.

Neither xAI nor X has issued a detailed public response to the probe so far. If violations are found, the EU has the authority to impose significant fines, potentially amounting to up to 6 per cent of a company’s global annual revenue, or require changes to how the system operates within the EU.

The move underscores the European Union’s increasingly assertive approach to regulating artificial intelligence and large tech platforms, as it seeks to set global standards for digital governance. The Grok investigation adds to mounting regulatory scrutiny of Musk’s companies in Europe, following earlier probes into X’s compliance with content moderation rules.

The outcome of the investigation could have far-reaching implications for how AI chatbots are deployed on social media platforms across the EU and beyond.