The issue stemmed from the platform being used to generate non-consensual, sexually explicit manipulated images.
Last Wednesday, January 21, the Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) issued a new directive concerning the artifical intelligence platform Grok of social networking site X (formerly Twitter).
According to the agency, it has “acknowledged the explanation and corrective actions undertaken by X regarding concerns raised on its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, particularly on its image-generation capabilities,” effectively lifting the ban imposed last January 16.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda noted, “Protecting Filipino users remains our paramount concern. At the same time, we support responsible innovation and recognize the role of emerging technologies in national development, provided these technologies operate within the bounds of Philippine law and uphold human dignity.”
The department said that a finding made by an inter-agency technical assessment, led by the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), in coordination with relevant government agencies, found that Grok had previously been associated with the generation of non-consensual, sexually explicit, and manipulated images.
This, it told, “prompted regulatory actions in several other jurisdictions including Indonesia and Malaysia,” adding that “these concerns raised serious implications for digital safety, privacy, and the protection of vulnerable sectors, especially women and children.“
“Based on the information provided by xAI, DICT recognizes that the immediate misuse issue has been addressed, with the platform implementing enhanced safeguards and stricter content moderation measures to prevent the generation of explicit and non-consensual content,” furthered the department.
It also said that the corrective actions done include strengthened restrictions on prompts involving real individuals and improved enforcement of acceptable-use policies.
“We checked the safeguards that xAI has put in place, and we are satisfied,” CICC Deputy Executive Director Renato Paraiso added.
Following the incident, the DICT, CICC, and NTC said they will continue to monitor xAI’s compliance with its self-policing and regulation commitment to ensure sustained compliance with applicable Philippine laws and regulations, emphasizing that they will monitor the safeguards against content-related cybercrime offenses under existing legal frameworks.
“The Department reiterates its commitment to a balanced approach to digital governance, one that protects users, promotes accountability, and enables innovation in a manner that is ethical, secure, and aligned with the country’s digital transformation agenda,” it added.
