x AI responded to Reuters’ emailed request for comment with what appeared to be an automated message reading, “Legacy Media Lies.” The company did not provide a substantive explanation regarding the changes made to Grok’s image generation tools. X, the social media platform where Grok operates, also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Elon Musk said last week that users who employ Grok to create illegal content would be treated no differently from those who upload unlawful material directly to the platform, and would face the same penalties.
On Friday, a Reuters journalist tested the new restrictions by asking Grok on X to transform a photograph of himself into one showing him wearing a bikini — a request that had become increasingly common among users in recent days. Unlike earlier responses, the chatbot declined and instead replied that its image generation and editing features were now available only to paying subscribers of the platform.
While the change appears to have reduced the automatic generation and posting of manipulated images in public replies, it has not fully satisfied regulators. The European Commission, which has previously condemned the spread of sexualized images of women and children on X as unlawful and deeply disturbing, said the new limits fail to address the core problem.
A spokesperson for the Commission said that restricting access based on payment status does not resolve their concerns, emphasizing that such content should not appear on the platform at all.
“Limiting image generation and editing to paying subscribers does not change our fundamental issue,” the spokesperson said. “Whether paid or unpaid, we do not want to see these kinds of images.”
The Commission’s response highlights ongoing regulatory pressure on X and xAI to implement stronger safeguards around AI-generated content, particularly when it involves non-consensual or sexually explicit imagery. Regulators and advocacy groups continue to warn that generative AI tools can be misused to harass individuals, violate privacy, and spread harmful material at scale.
For now, the measures introduced by xAI are seen as a partial response to public backlash rather than a comprehensive solution, leaving open questions about how the company and the platform will address the broader risks associated with AI-powered image manipulation in the future.
