PHL orders Grok AI ban

The Philippines has ordered the ban of Grok, the generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by X.AI Corp. (xAI), owned by Elon Musk over deepfake and growing threats involving women and minors.

This came after the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) through its Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) ordered the National Telecommunications Technology (NTC) to block and take down access to Grok in the Philippines.

ICT Secretary Henry Rhoel R. Aguda said the agency is now working on a policy measure, through a department order, that would require users in the country to have their account verified.

“This is currently under review, I think, we can issue the department order next week which will require users [to have their] account verified,” Mr. Aguda said, adding that this will allow easy tracing of those who will abuse the use of AI.

In a media release, CICC said that the move to block Grok is in accordance with Republic Act 10175 or also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

“This measure is intended to prevent the abuse of the tool and to safeguard the public from being exploited by its ability to manipulate content, produce sexually explicit materials, and generate deepfakes of real individuals without their consent,” CICC said.

It said that Grok AI enables the creation of pornographic content, especially child pornography which is against the law.

Further, Mr. Aguda said that Grok AI’s affiliate has reached out to the DICT, and is set to meet with the agency, and NTC to come up with a potential solution.

“We don’t want to block innovation. We don’t want to stifle or hinder progress… Other countries have shown the kinds of harm Grok AI can cause. So, the next question is: after we block Grok AI, what’s next?,” he said.— Ashley Erika O. Jose