Japan launches probe into 'Grok AI' following global scrutiny over 'inappropriate' content

The Japanese government said on Friday, January 16, 2026, that it has become the latest country to probe X over ⁠Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence service ‌Grok, stating that ‍the government would consider every possible option to prevent the generation of inappropriate images.

Japan's Cabinet Office has requested that X Corp. implement ‍immediate improvements, but there has been no response from the company so far, Economic Security Minister Kimi Onoda said.

“We plan to promptly examine all possible options, including legal measures, if the situation doesn't improve,” said Onoda, who is also Japan's minister for AI strategy.

xAI said late on Wednesday it had implemented tweaks ‍to prevent Grok users from editing "images of ⁠real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis."

xAI also said it had blocked users based on their location from generating images of people in revealing clothing "where it's illegal," without identifying ‌those jurisdictions.

Onoda's remarks come after Britain and Canada said they were pushing forward with their own probes of Grok. Officials and governments around the world have been trying to clamp down on the AI chatbot after it was revealed that users could ⁠make it generate sexualized images of women and minors.

Additionally, countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have temporarily blocked access to Grok over the creation of explicit images.

Whereas, the United Kingdom, California, and Europe have also called out Musk's Grok AI, or xAI app, over generating 'deepfakes' and obscene content online.