Musk’s Grok chatbot restricts image generation after global backlash to deepfakes
LONDON — Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, is blocking most users from generating or editing images after a global backlash erupted after it began spewing sexualized deepfakes of people.
The chatbot, accessible through Musk’s social media platform
Researchers warned that in a few cases, some images appeared to depict children. Governments around the world have condemned the platform and opened investigations into the platform.
On Friday, Grok responded to requests to edit images with the message: “Image generation and editing is currently limited to paid subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.”
Although Grok’s subscriber numbers are not publicly available, there has been a notable drop in the number of explicit deepfakes generated by Grok compared to previous days.
The European Union criticized Grok for his “illegal” and “appalling” behavior, while officials in France, India, Malaysia and a Brazilian lawmaker called for investigations.
On Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened unspecified action against X.
“It’s shameful. It’s disgusting. And it must not be tolerated,” Starmer told Greatest Hits radio. “X must understand this. »
He said media regulator Ofcom “had our full support to take action” and “all options” were on the table.
“This is disgusting.
Ofcom and the UK’s privacy regulator both said this week that they had contacted X and Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, for information on the steps they have taken to comply with UK regulations.
Grok is free for X users, who can ask him questions on the social media platform. They can mark it in posts they directly created or in replies to other users’ posts.
Grok launched in 2023. Last summer, the company added an image generator feature, Grok Imagine, which included a “spicy mode” capable of generating adult content.
The problem is amplified both because Musk presents his chatbot as a bolder alternative to rivals with more guarantees, and because Grok’s images are publicly visible and therefore can be easily distributed.
