Quezon city: The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and its attached agencies are ready to lift the access ban on the artificial intelligence (AI) platform Grok in the Philippines once corrective measures are in place against illegal usage of its image generation features.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a press conference at the DICT headquarters in Quezon City on Wednesday, DICT Secretary Henry Aguda stated that xAI, the company responsible for Grok, reached out to the Philippines and has committed to addressing several concerns, particularly its capability to create pornographic content, especially of minors. Aguda emphasized that the ban will be lifted once xAI implements protective measures for the Philippines, allowing them to use the country as a reference for compliance in other regions.

During the event, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) Undersecretary Renato 'Aboy' Paraiso mentioned that xAI has pledged to adapt Grok for the Philippine market, specifically by removing its image/content manipulation features. Paraiso assured that even after lifting the ban, the CICC will continue to closely monitor the app to ensure compliance with the country's rules and regulations.

Grok was banned in the country on Friday following reports of its ability to generate nonconsensual illicit deepfakes. The AI platform has also been banned in Indonesia and Malaysia, while the European Union, the United Kingdom, and several other countries have launched investigations into the allegations.