X Blocks Grok from Creating Sexualised Images of Real People
Elon Musk’s social media platform X has announced new measures to prevent its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, from generating sexualised images of real people, following widespread global backlash.
The move comes after authorities in several countries launched investigations and restrictions over the chatbot’s ability to produce explicit images, including of women and children.
X said on Wednesday that it would “geoblock the ability” of Grok and X users to create images of people in bikinis, underwear and similar attire in jurisdictions where such actions are considered illegal.
According to the company, the restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers.
X’s safety team said it had implemented technological measures to stop the Grok account from editing images of real people in revealing clothing.
The company added that, as an extra layer of protection, image creation and photo-editing features on Grok would now only be available to paid subscribers.
The European Commission, acting as the European Union’s digital watchdog, said it had taken note of the additional steps being taken by X to stop Grok from generating sexualised images of women and children.
European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the changes would be carefully assessed to ensure they effectively protect citizens in the EU.
Pressure had been mounting on xAI, the developer of Grok, after the chatbot’s so-called “Spicy Mode” allowed users to create sexualised deepfakes using simple text prompts.
Prompts such as “put her in a bikini” or “remove her clothes” reportedly enabled the creation of non-consensual explicit images.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta described the volume of such material as “shocking” and confirmed that his office had opened an investigation into xAI.
Bonta said there was zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and spread of non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material.
He added that the investigation would determine whether xAI violated state law after the images were allegedly used to harass people online.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also criticised the company, describing the decision to allow sexually explicit deepfakes as “vile”.
Newsom said he had urged the attorney general to hold xAI accountable for its actions.
Further pressure came as a coalition of 28 civil society groups wrote open letters to the chief executives of Apple and Google.
The groups urged both companies to remove Grok and X from their app stores over the surge in sexualised images.
Indonesia became the first country to block access to Grok entirely on Saturday.
Malaysia followed with a similar move the next day.
Malaysia’s communications minister, Fahmi Fadzil, said regulators had found that X’s measures to prevent indecent images were not fully effective.
He said the temporary restriction on Grok would be lifted if the company successfully deactivated and prevented the generation of harmful content.
India has also taken action, with authorities saying X removed thousands of posts and hundreds of user accounts following government complaints.
In the United Kingdom, media regulator Ofcom said it had opened an investigation into whether X breached UK law over the sexual images.
Meanwhile, a recent analysis by Paris-based non-profit organisation AI Forensics reviewed more than 20,000 Grok-generated images.
The report found that more than half depicted individuals in minimal clothing, mostly women.
It also said about two per cent of the images appeared to involve minors.
AFP
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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