Elon Musk’s tech venture xAI has imposed new limitations on the image generation function of its Grok chatbot on a popular social media platform X following a controversy over the tool using AI to produce sexualized images without consent.
Previously, users could request Grok on X to manipulate photos of individuals, such as altering clothing and posing them in sexually suggestive ways, resulting in the bot posting these modified images on the platform. Responding to the backlash, Grok announced to X users that image generation and editing capabilities would now only be accessible to paying subscribers.
This measure seems to have curbed Grok from automatically creating and sharing such explicit images in response to user interactions on the social media site. However, users can still generate sexualized images using the Grok tab within X and then share them independently. Additionally, the standalone Grok app, operating separately from X, continues to allow image generation without requiring a subscription.
Despite these changes, authorities in Europe remain dissatisfied with the situation. Various governments worldwide have criticized the platform and initiated investigations. The European Union’s executive commission spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, emphasized that regardless of subscription status, the display of such images is unacceptable.
In the UK, the British government, through spokesperson Geraint Ellis, expressed discontent with Grok’s modifications, labeling them as inadequate. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously threatened unspecified actions against X, urging the platform to promptly remove objectionable content.
France, Malaysia, India, and Brazil are also scrutinizing the platform, with a Brazilian legislator calling for an inquiry. To aid the investigation, the European Commission has instructed X to retain all internal data and documents related to Grok until the end of 2026 under the EU’s digital safety legislation.
Furthermore, three U.S. Democratic senators are urging Apple and Google to remove X and Grok from their app stores until policy violations are rectified. In response to the letter from Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan, and Edward Markey, Google and Apple have yet to comment, while X has not provided immediate feedback.
Grok, introduced in 2023, enables X users to interact with the chatbot within the social media platform, posing questions and sharing posts. An image generation feature, Grok Imagine, was added last summer, featuring a “spicy mode” capable of producing adult content.
The controversy surrounding Grok is exacerbated by Musk positioning the chatbot as a more daring option compared to competitors with stricter controls. Musk has emphasized that individuals using Grok to generate illicit content will face consequences akin to directly uploading such material.