Elon Musk’s Grok App Restricts AI Image Editing Tool After Backlash
Elon Musk’s AI company xAI has restricted the image generation and editing functions of its Grok chatbot on X to paying subscribers, following a backlash over the tool’s use to undress women.
The move came after threats of regulatory action, potential fines, and discussion of a possible ban on X in the U.K. and elsewhere. Until recently, Grok’s image editing tools were available to most users on X.
Almost immediately after the tool was rolled out, which appears on all photos on the platform, users began manipulating photos of women — often without consent — by removing clothing, placing them in sexualized poses or depicting violence.
“Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers,” Grok posted today (Friday).
It means the vast majority of users can no longer create images through Grok on the platform. Those who retain access are subscribers whose identities and payment details are held by X, making them easier to identify if the feature is misused. The public @Grok account has also had its image generation capabilities heavily restricted.
However, The Guardian reports that concerns remain about the separate Grok app, which operates independently of X and does not share images publicly. Non-paying users have reported that the app still allows the generation of sexualized imagery, including images of women and children.
The controversy has prompted political and regulatory responses across Europe. In the U.K., Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned of strong action against X, calling on the company to “get a grip” on what he described as a surge of AI-generated images of partly clothed women and children. He called the content “disgraceful” and “disgusting.”
Under the U.K.’s Online Safety Act, the regulator Ofcom has powers to impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s global turnover and, in serious cases, seek court orders to block websites or apps in the U.K. Starmer said Ofcom “has our full support to take action in relation to this”.
Musk has said that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as if they uploaded such material directly. When asked for comment by Reuters, xAI responded with an automated email stating: “Legacy Media Lies.”
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
