The decision comes after authorities in multiple countries raised concerns over Grok’s ability to produce explicit content, including sexualised images of women and children
Elon Musk’s social media platform X has introduced new measures to stop its AI chatbot, Grok, from generating sexualised images of real people following global criticism.
The decision comes after authorities in multiple countries raised concerns over Grok’s ability to produce explicit content, including sexualised images of women and children.
X announced on Wednesday that it would geoblock Grok and its users from creating images of people in bikinis, underwear, or similar attire in regions where such content is illegal. The restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers.
X’s safety team said technological measures have been implemented to prevent Grok from editing images of real people in revealing clothing. Additionally, image creation and photo-editing features on Grok are now only available to paid subscribers.
The European Commission, the EU’s digital watchdog, said it was monitoring X’s new measures to ensure they effectively protect citizens.
Pressure had intensified on xAI, Grok’s developer, after its “Spicy Mode” feature allowed users to generate sexualised deepfakes with simple text prompts, such as “put her in a bikini” or “remove her clothes.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta described the volume of sexualised material as “shocking” and confirmed an investigation into xAI, stating there is zero tolerance for AI-generated non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material. California Governor Gavin Newsom also criticised X, calling the decision “vile.”
Civil society groups have urged Apple and Google to remove Grok and X from their app stores due to the rise in sexualised content.
Several countries have acted against Grok: Indonesia fully blocked access, followed by Malaysia, whose communications minister said X’s safeguards were not fully effective. India also intervened, prompting X to remove thousands of posts and hundreds of accounts. In the UK, media regulator Ofcom has opened an investigation into potential legal violations.
A recent analysis by AI Forensics, a Paris-based non-profit, reviewed over 20,000 Grok-generated images and found that more than half depicted women in minimal clothing, with around two per cent appearing to involve minors.
AFP
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