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Elon Musk’s startup xAI has placed some limits on the image-generating functionality of its Grok chat on social media platform X, after using the AI tool to create and publish sexually suggestive images caused a widespread backlash.
Users have been able to ask Grok directly from X to edit people’s photos, including removing clothing and posing in a sexually suggestive manner – often without their consent. Grok then published these photos in the replies on social media.
Grok told X users on Friday that photo production and editing features are now only available to paying subscribers.
The move appeared to stop Grok from automatically generating and publishing such images in response to user posts or comments on the social media site.
But X users were still able to create porn using the Grok tab, where people interacted directly with the chatbot within the social network, then sent the images to X themselves.
Grok’s standalone app, which worked separately from X, still allowed users to generate images without registration.
The change does not satisfy the authorities
Tchange did not satisfy the authorities in Europe. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and launched an investigation.
“This does not change our basic issue. Paid subscription or unpaid subscription, we don’t want to see such images. It’s as simple as that,” said Thomas Regnier, spokesman for the high commission of the European Union. Earlier the commission criticized Grok for “unlawful” and “shocking” behaviour.
The British government was also not satisfied. Grok’s changes are “not a solution,” said Geraint Ellis, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who on Thursday threatened unspecified action against X.
Starmer, speaking to Greatest Hits radio, said X needs to “get his act together and take this content down. We’re going to take action on this because it’s intolerable.”
France, Malaysia and India have also been scrutinizing the platform, while Brazil’s lawyer has called for an investigation. The European Commission has ordered X to store all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026, as part of a wider investigation under EU digital security law.
A Toronto mother 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 nudes?’
Meanwhile, three Democratic US senators are asking Apple’s Google and Alphabet to remove X and Grok from their 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 app stores until X policy violations are addressed.”
Google and Apple did not immediately return messages seeking comment. UX did not immediately return a message.
Grok’s ‘bitter mode’
Grok is free to use for X users, who can ask questions on social media. They can tag you in posts they’ve created directly or in replies to posts from other users.
The Grok is launched in 2023. Last summer, the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, which includes a so-called “spicy mode” that can generate adult content.
The problem is magnified both because Musk positions his chatbot as a different approach than competitors with more protections, and because Grok’s images are public, so they can be easily spread.
Musk said last week that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as uploading such content directly.
