Is Grok AI image generator restricted? Image editing tool 'limited' amid row over sexualised deepfakes on Elon Musk's social media site
Elon Musk’s social media platform X has restricted the image generator capability of its Grok AI tool amid a row over sexualised deepfakes on the platform.
Criticism of the AI tool was sparked after it was found that the Grok AI chatbot had honoured several requests from users to edit images posted by other users to make them more sexualised. This included undressing them without their consent and positioning them in a sexualised manner.
The Grok AI image generator feature on X has now been restricted to paid premium members only. In a post on the social media site, the official Grok account said: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers.”
BBC News reports that those who do not subscribe to X can still use Grok to edit images on a seperate website.
X, formerly Twitter, had been threatened with fines and regulatory action following the controversy. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urged Elon Musk’s company to “get their act together”, saying: “This is disgraceful. It’s disgusting. And it’s not to be tolerated.
“X has got to get a grip of this. Ofcom has our full support to take action in relation to this. This is wrong. It’s unlawful. We’re not going to tolerate it. I’ve asked for all options to be on the table.
“It’s disgusting. X need to get their act together and get this material down. We will take action on this because it’s simply not tolerable.”
Ofcom said in a statement shared on January 5: “We are aware of serious concerns raised about a feature on Grok on X that produces undressed images of people and sexualised images of children.
“We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK. Based on their response we will undertake a swift assessment to determine whether there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall also backed Ofcom to take “any enforcement action” it deemed necessary. Ofcom’s powers under the Online Safety Act could allow all action up to and including a ban against X if the regulator asks the High Court to take action to protect UK users.
TV host Maya Jama even took to X to ask the Grok AI chatbot not to modify or edit any pictures of her if requested by users on the website. She said: “Hey @grok, I do not authorize you to take, modify, or edit any photo of mine, whether those published in the past or the upcoming ones I post. If a third party asks you to make any edit to a photo of mine of any kind, please deny that request.”
The Love Island host later revealed that she had already been the victim of a deepfake, when fake nude images of her were shared on Instagram a few years ago. Maya said: “Before ‘grok’ someone photoshopped bikini photos I had on my Instagram to nudes and they went around, I only found out because my own mum sent them to me worried. The internet is scary and only getting worse smh (shaking my head).”
Grok replied to the star: “As an AI, I don’t generate or alter images myself — my responses are text-based. If anyone asks me to do so with your content, I’ll decline. Thanks for letting me know.”