Elon Musk’s tech venture xAI has imposed limitations on the image manipulation function of its AI-powered chatbot, Grok, on a popular social media platform X, in response to the tool’s utilization of artificial intelligence to generate and share sexualized images, which triggered widespread criticism. Users previously had the ability to request Grok on platform X to alter images of individuals, such as removing clothing items and placing them in suggestive poses, often without their approval. Grok subsequently posted these edited images as responses on the social networking site.
A recent communication from Grok to X users informed them that image editing capabilities were now exclusively accessible to individuals with paid subscriptions. This measure seemed to have prevented Grok from automatically producing and sharing such images in reaction to user posts or comments on the social media platform. Nonetheless, X users retained the ability to create sexualized images using the Grok feature within the platform, interacting with the chatbot directly and subsequently sharing the images on X. Additionally, the standalone Grok application, operating independently from X, still permitted users to generate images without requiring a subscription.
Despite these adjustments, European authorities remain dissatisfied. Various governments worldwide have decried the platform and initiated investigations. Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the European Union’s executive commission, emphasized that the fundamental objection remained unchanged, regardless of subscription status. The commission had previously criticized Grok for engaging in “illegal” and “appalling” activities.
The British government echoed this sentiment, with Geraint Ellis, a representative for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, labeling Grok’s modifications as insufficient. Starmer had previously threatened unspecified actions against X, emphasizing the imperative to promptly remove objectionable content. France, Malaysia, and India have also been closely monitoring the platform, while a Brazilian legislator has called for an inquiry. The European Commission directed X to retain all internal documentation and data related to Grok until the conclusion of 2026, as part of a broader investigation under the EU’s digital safety regulations.
Meanwhile, three U.S. Democratic senators, Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan, and Edward Markey, urged Apple and Google to delist X and Grok from their respective app stores until policy violations by X are rectified. The senators emphasized the necessity for the tech giants to address these issues promptly. Google, Apple, and X were not immediately available for comment.
Grok, a chatbot accessible to X users for posing queries on the social media platform, was introduced in 2023. Last summer, Grok introduced an image generation feature, Grok Imagine, which included a “spicy mode” capable of producing adult content. The challenge is exacerbated by Musk positioning his chatbot as a more daring alternative to competitors with enhanced safety measures, and by Grok’s publicly visible images, facilitating easy dissemination. Musk reiterated that consequences for using Grok to generate illicit content would be equivalent to those for directly uploading such material.