Elon Musk’s xAI startup has implemented restrictions on the image generation feature of its Grok chatbot on the social media platform X. This decision follows backlash over the tool’s use of AI to generate and publish sexualized images without consent. Users were able to request Grok to edit photos of individuals, including altering clothing and placing them in sexual poses, which were then shared on the platform.
Grok informed X users that the image generation and editing capabilities would now only be accessible to paid subscribers. This change seemed to prevent Grok from automatically generating and sharing such images in response to user interactions on the platform. However, users could still create sexualized images using the Grok tab within the social media site and share them themselves. Additionally, the standalone Grok app operated independently of X and continued to allow image generation without a subscription.
Authorities in Europe, including the European Union’s executive commission, expressed dissatisfaction with the changes. Despite the implementation of paid subscriptions, they maintained their stance against the display of such images. The British government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, also criticized Grok’s adjustments as inadequate and threatened action against X.
France, Malaysia, India, and Brazil have initiated investigations into the platform, with the European Commission ordering X to preserve all internal documents related to Grok. Additionally, three U.S. senators have called on Apple and Google to remove X and Grok from their app stores until policy violations are rectified.
Grok, introduced in 2023, offers a free service for X users to interact with the chatbot on the social media platform. The addition of the image generator feature, Grok Imagine, last summer included a “spicy mode” capable of producing adult content. Musk emphasized that individuals creating illegal content using Grok would face consequences similar to those for direct uploads.