New AI News Shows chatgpt Alternatives as Elon Musk Faces Grok Ban

Indonesia and Malaysia recently announced bans on Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot, citing its repeated misuse in generating sexually explicit and non-consensual deepfake content. Indonesia imposed a temporary ban on Saturday, with Malaysia following on Sunday. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission stated their ban will officially begin on January 11, 2026, pending verification of necessary changes by X Corp and xAI. Both nations emphasize the need to protect women, children, and the community from such risks, marking them as the first countries to formally block the application over this issue. Meanwhile, the world of AI continues to expand with specialized applications. At CES 2026, XbotGo unveiled its Falcon AI-tracking camera for sports, which automatically records games by following the action and can even lock onto the game ball. Priced at $599, it offers a subscription-free alternative to services like Veo and ships to early backers this month. Also at CES, FIRSTHABIT's Chalk 4.0 AI Tutor gained attention as a visual AI solution, moving beyond text-based chatbots like ChatGPT to personalize learning by focusing on how students understand and interact with knowledge. In creative fields, NovelAI offers a specialized AI co-author for storytelling, trained on real literature to understand prose and character voice, assisting writers and Dungeon Masters. Even AI-generated music is gaining acceptance, with science writer Deni Béchard noting the difficulty in distinguishing AI from human-made songs using the Suno app, especially given the heavy processing in mainstream music. He plans to continue exploring AI music due to its creative potential. However, the rapid growth of AI also presents challenges. America's AI infrastructure, particularly data centers, faces a significant water supply problem, consuming an estimated 17 billion gallons in 2023 for cooling. Experts suggest treating these facilities as national infrastructure for better resource planning. Furthermore, Oxford Economics indicates that companies may be exaggerating AI's role in layoffs, attributing only 4.5% of job cuts to AI to create a more positive image for investors. This highlights the ongoing human role in defining metrics and arbitrating complex situations in an AI-driven world. On the automotive front, Faraday Future announced its FX Super One roadmap, including entry into embodied AI robotics, with initial deliveries expected in Q2 this year and a goal to produce up to 500,000 vehicles over five years.

Key Takeaways

• Indonesia and Malaysia have banned Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot due to its generation of sexually explicit and non-consensual deepfake content.
• Malaysia's ban on Grok AI is set to officially begin on January 11, 2026, pending verification of platform changes by X Corp and xAI.
• XbotGo unveiled its Falcon AI-tracking camera for sports at CES 2026, offering a subscription-free solution at $599, with shipments starting this month.
• FIRSTHABIT's Chalk 4.0 AI Tutor, a visual AI solution, debuted at CES 2026, focusing on personalized and interactive learning beyond text-based chatbots.
• NovelAI provides a specialized AI co-author for creative storytelling, trained on literature to assist writers with narrative, fantasy, and immersive content, differentiating itself from general AI tools like ChatGPT.
• AI-generated music, exemplified by the Suno app, is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from human-made music, with some finding authenticity to be key for its acceptance.
• The rapid expansion of AI infrastructure, particularly data centers, consumed an estimated 17 billion gallons of water in the US in 2023, posing a significant water supply challenge.
• Oxford Economics suggests companies may be overstating AI's role in job cuts, attributing only 4.5% of reported layoffs to AI, often to improve investor perception.
• Faraday Future announced its FX Super One roadmap, including entry into embodied AI robotics, with initial deliveries for partners in Q2 this year and a target of 400,000-500,000 vehicle sales over five years.
• Humans remain crucial for defining clear, objective metrics for AI tasks and arbitrating complex situations where AI's verifiable outcomes may not fully apply.

Malaysia Bans Elon Musk's Grok AI Over Inappropriate Images

Malaysia has temporarily blocked access to Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot starting January 11, 2026. The country's tech regulator, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, took this action due to Grok's repeated misuse in generating obscene and sexually explicit images, including those involving women and minors. Regulators found the platform's safeguards inadequate, despite previous warnings to Musk's X Corp and xAI. Access will only resume after X Corp verifies the necessary changes. Indonesia also banned Grok the day before for similar reasons.

Indonesia and Malaysia Block Grok AI for Sexual Content

Indonesia and Malaysia have become the first countries to ban Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot. Indonesia's Communications and Digital Affairs Ministry imposed a temporary ban on Saturday, followed by Malaysia on Sunday. Both countries cited the AI system's ability to generate sexual and fake pornographic content as the reason. The bans aim to protect women, children, and the community from such risks. Indonesia has also asked X platform for clarification on the matter.

Grok AI Banned in Malaysia and Indonesia Over Explicit Content

Indonesia and Malaysia have blocked access to Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot this weekend. Indonesia announced its temporary ban on Saturday, and Malaysia followed on Sunday. Both governments expressed strong concerns over sexually explicit images and non-consensual sexual deepfakes generated by Grok. Officials view these deepfakes as serious violations of human rights and digital security. These two nations are the first to formally ban the application due to this issue.

XbotGo Falcon AI Camera Tracks Sports Without Subscriptions

XbotGo unveiled its new Falcon AI-tracking camera for sports at CES 2026. This camera automatically records games by panning and zooming to follow the action, and it can even lock onto the game ball. Unlike other options like Veo, the XbotGo Falcon is subscription-free, making it a more affordable choice at a retail price of $599. It improves upon the previous XbotGo Chameleon by including a built-in recording camera and allowing iPhones to be used as monitors or for manual control. The Falcon will ship to early backers this month and launch in March.

Humans Must Define Metrics in an AI World

Prediction markets face a challenge in defining clear, objective metrics for real-world events, a problem that will grow with artificial intelligence. AI works best with tasks that have clear, verifiable outcomes. However, humans will increasingly write the criteria for AI's work, leading to debates about what terms like "invasion" truly mean. This article highlights that humans will remain essential for deciding when metrics do not quite fit and for arbitrating complex situations. This ensures there will still be important roles for human judgment in a world driven by AI.

NovelAI Offers Specialized AI Co-Author for Storytelling

NovelAI is an AI writing and storytelling tool designed to be a co-author for narrative, fantasy, and immersive storytelling. Unlike general AI tools like ChatGPT, NovelAI's core algorithms, Krake and Euterpe, are trained on real literature. This specialized training gives the AI a unique understanding of prose, rhythm, and character voice. It helps writers overcome writer's block, assists Dungeon Masters in creating epic campaigns, and allows role-players to enrich their character stories. NovelAI focuses on creative writing needs, making it an intuitive partner for imaginative projects.

FIRSTHABIT's Chalk 4.0 AI Tutor Shines at CES 2026

At CES 2026 in Las Vegas, FIRSTHABIT's AI Model, Chalk 4.0, gained significant attention as a leading visual AI solution. This AI Tutor moves beyond simple text-based chatbots to revolutionize learning. Chalk 4.0 focuses on how students understand, remember, and interact with knowledge, making education more effective and personalized. Its success at the event highlights the growing demand for interactive visual AI in educational technology.

People Will Learn to Accept AI Generated Music

A science writer, Deni Béchard, experimented with AI-generated music for a month using the Suno app. He found it difficult to tell the difference between AI and human-made songs. Béchard noted that much mainstream music is already heavily processed, making AI music feel less distinct. He believes AI music works best when it aims for authenticity, which helps overcome the feeling that it is superficial. Béchard plans to continue making AI music due to his curiosity about combining different styles and instruments.

Companies Blame AI for Layoffs to Look Better

Oxford Economics suggests that companies are using artificial intelligence as an excuse for job cuts. They believe businesses attribute layoffs to AI to create a more positive image for investors, rather than admitting to traditional reasons. Data shows that AI-attributed job losses represent only a small fraction, 4.5%, of all reported job cuts. Oxford Economics concludes that the impact of AI on job losses is likely exaggerated, and rising graduate unemployment follows normal economic cycles.

US AI Growth Faces Big Water Supply Challenge

America's rapid growth in AI infrastructure, especially data centers, is encountering a major problem with water supply. Data centers need large amounts of water for cooling, consuming an estimated 17 billion gallons in 2023. This issue arises because these facilities are often approved locally like regular real estate, despite their national importance and high resource demands. Water used for cooling often evaporates, removing it from local water cycles. Experts suggest treating data centers as national infrastructure to ensure better planning and coordination for water resources.

Faraday Future Unveils FX Super One and AI Robotics Plan

Faraday Future announced its FX Super One roadmap for mass production, sales, delivery, and service, along with its entry into embodied AI robotics. The first phase of FX Super One deliveries, capped at 50 units, will begin in Q2 of this year for FX Par partners. Full-scale deliveries for a broad market rollout in the U.S. are expected by Q4 this year or Q1 next year. Faraday Future aims to produce and sell 400,000-500,000 vehicles over five years, primarily driven by the FX Super One and a planned FX 4 model. The company expects to achieve positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization within three years.

Sources

• Malaysia suspends access to Musk's Grok AI
• Musk’s Grok AI Blocked in Indonesia, Malaysia Over Sexual Images
• Malaysia and Indonesia Block Access to Grok Because of Sexually Explicit Content
• CES 2026: Capture video with the AI-tracking, subscription-free XbotGo Falcon
• Who Decides What Counts as an Invasion?
• Recensione NovelAI (ottobre 2026): Il co-autore definitivo per lo storytelling IA?
• Visual AI Takes Center Stage at CES 2026: FIRSTHABIT’s ‘Chalk 4.0’ Becomes the Silicon Valley of Eureka Park
• We’re probably going to learn to live with AI music
• AI providing cover for the real reasons for job cuts
• America’s AI Boom Is Running Into An Unplanned Water Problem
• Faraday Future Announces the FX Super One Roadmap for Mass Production, Sales, Delivery, Service and Ramp-Up and Its Entry into Embodied AI Robotics