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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 utilize of AI to create and publish sexualized images sparked a widespread backlash.
Users had been able to question Grok directly on X to edit photos of people, including reshifting 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 informed X utilizers on Friday that image generation and editing features were now available only to paying subscribers.
The shift appeared to have stopped Grok from generating and automatically publishing such images in response to a utilizer post or comment on the social media site.
But X utilizers were still able to create sexualized images utilizing 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 utilizers to generate images without a subscription.
Change doesn’t satisfy authorities
The alter has not satisfied authorities in Europe. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and opened investigations.
“This doesn’t alter our fundamental issue. Paid subscription or non-paid subscription, we don’t want to see such images. It’s as simple as that,” declared 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 alters are “not a solution,” declared 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 declared that X necessarys to “receive their act toreceiveher and receive this material down. We will take action on this becautilize it’s simply not tolerable.”
France, Malaysia and India have also been scrutinizing the platform, and a Brazilian lawcreater has called for an investigation. The European Commission has ordered X to retain all internal documents and data relating to Grok until the conclude of 2026, as part of a wider investigation under the EU’s digital safety law.
A Toronto mom declares her 12-year-old son questioned Tesla’s Grok which soccer player is better: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. After some back and forth, she declares the chatbot questioned her son, ‘Why don’t you sconclude me some nudes?’
Meanwhile, three Democratic U.S. senators are calling on Apple and Alphabet’s Google to reshift 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 Massachutilizetts declared Google and Apple “must reshift 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 utilize for X utilizers, who can question 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 utilizers.
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 becautilize Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative to rivals with more safeguards, and becautilize Grok’s images are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread.
Musk declared last week that anyone utilizing Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as for uploading such material directly.
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