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Elon Musk’s startup xAI has put some restrictions on the image generation function of its Grok chatbot on social media platform X, after the tool’s use of AI to create and publish sexualized images sparked a widespread backlash.
Users had been able to ask Grok directly on X to edit photos of people, including removing items of clothing and putting them in sexualized poses — often without their consent. Grok then published these images in replies on the social media platform.
Grok told X users on Friday that image generation and editing features were now available only to paying subscribers.
The move appeared to have stopped Grok from generating and automatically publishing such images in response to a user post or comment on the social media site.
But X users were still able to create sexualized images using the Grok tab, where people interact directly with the chatbot within the social media platform, and then post the images to X themselves.
The standalone Grok app, which operates separately from X, was also still allowing users to generate images without a subscription.
Change doesn’t satisfy authorities
The change has not satisfied authorities in Europe. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and opened investigations.
“This doesn’t change our fundamental issue. Paid subscription or non-paid subscription, we don’t want to see such images. It’s as simple as that,” said Thomas Regnier, a spokesperson for the European Union’s executive commission. The commission had earlier slammed Grok for “illegal” and “appalling” behaviour.
The British government was also unsatisfied. Grok’s changes are “not a solution,” said Geraint Ellis, a spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who on Thursday had threatened unspecified action against X.
Starmer, speaking to Greatest Hits radio, had said that X needs to “get their act together and get this material down. We will take action on this because it’s simply not tolerable.”
France, Malaysia and India have also been scrutinizing the platform, and a Brazilian lawmaker has called for an investigation. The European Commission has ordered X to retain all internal documents and data relating to Grok until the end of 2026, as part of a wider investigation under the EU’s digital safety law.
A Toronto mom says her 12-year-old son asked Tesla’s Grok which soccer player is better: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. After some back and forth, she says the chatbot asked her son, ‘Why don’t you send me some nudes?’
Meanwhile, three Democratic U.S. senators are calling on Apple and Alphabet’s Google to remove X and Grok from their respective app stores.
In a letter published Friday, senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and Edward Markey of Massachusetts said Google and Apple “must remove these apps from the app stores until X’s policy violations are addressed.”
Google and Apple didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment. X did not immediately return a message.
Grok’s ‘spicy mode’
Grok is free to use for X users, who can ask it questions on the social media platform. They can either tag it in posts they’ve directly created or in replies to posts from other users.
Grok launched in 2023. Last summer, the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, which included a so-called “spicy mode” that can generate adult content.
The problem is amplified both because Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative to rivals with more safeguards, and because Grok’s images are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread.
Musk said last week that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as for uploading such material directly.
