Elon Musk’s xAI startup has implemented restrictions on the image generation feature of its Grok chatbot on social media platform X following backlash over the tool’s use of AI to produce and share sexualized images without consent. Users were able to request Grok to edit photos of individuals, including altering clothing and posing them in sexualized manners, which Grok then posted on the platform.
Grok informed X users that the image generation and editing functions were now accessible only to paying subscribers. This adjustment 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 through the Grok tab and post them on X. Additionally, the standalone Grok app continued to allow image generation without requiring a subscription.
Authorities in Europe, including the European Union’s executive commission, were not satisfied with the changes. They maintained their stance against the platform, labeling the behavior as “illegal” and “appalling.” The British government echoed similar sentiments, deeming Grok’s modifications inadequate and threatening unspecified actions against X.
Countries like France, Malaysia, India, and Brazil have also initiated investigations into the platform, with the European Commission instructing X to preserve all internal documents related to Grok until the end of 2026 for a comprehensive probe 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. Musk had emphasized that individuals using Grok to produce illicit content would face consequences similar to those for directly uploading such material.
Grok, launched in 2023, offers a free service to X users, allowing them to interact with the chatbot on the social media platform. The addition of the image generator feature, Grok Imagine, last summer introduced a “spicy mode” capable of generating adult content. Musk’s positioning of Grok as a more daring alternative coupled with the visibility of Grok’s images has contributed to the widespread dissemination of such content.