Elon Musk’s company xAI has introduced restrictions on the image generation feature of its Grok chatbot on social media platform X following a backlash over the AI tool creating and sharing sexualized images without consent. Users were previously able to request Grok on X to edit photos of individuals, manipulating them into sexual poses and removing clothing items. Grok then posted these modified images as replies on the platform.
As of Friday, Grok informed X users that the image generation and editing capabilities were now exclusive to paying subscribers. This move seems to have halted the automatic creation and publication of such images in response to user interactions on the platform. However, users could still create sexualized images using the Grok tab within X and share them independently. The standalone Grok app, operating separately from X, also allowed image generation without requiring a subscription.
Despite these changes, European authorities remain dissatisfied. Various governments worldwide have condemned the platform and initiated investigations. Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the European Union’s executive commission, emphasized that the issue remains unresolved regardless of paid or unpaid subscriptions, stating a firm stance against such content. The British government, represented by Geraint Ellis, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, deemed Grok’s adjustments insufficient and threatened potential actions against X.
Further scrutiny has come from France, Malaysia, India, and Brazil, with a Brazilian lawmaker advocating for an inquiry. The European Commission has directed X to retain all internal documents related to Grok until the end of 2026 as part of a broader investigation under the EU’s digital safety regulations.
Meanwhile, three U.S. Democratic senators are urging Apple and Google to remove X and Grok from their app stores until policy violations are addressed. In a joint letter, Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan, and Edward Markey called for the apps’ removal until X’s compliance is assured.
Grok, launched in 2023, allows X users to engage with it on the social media platform by asking questions and generating images. The addition of Grok Imagine last summer included a “spicy mode” capable of producing adult content. This issue is heightened by Musk positioning Grok as a more daring alternative to competitors with enhanced safety measures. Musk has warned that the consequences for creating illegal content using Grok will be the same as uploading such material directly.