Elon Musk’s xAI announced it will restrict its Grok AI tool from altering images of real people to place them in revealing clothing, such as bikinis, following mounting global criticism over the misuse of the AI to generate explicit imagery.
The decision comes amid widespread concern that some users have digitally undressed women and children without consent and shared the images on X, the social media platform also owned by Musk. Thousands of these sexualized AI-generated images have surfaced over recent weeks, sparking investigations and calls for stricter regulation.
“This adds an extra layer of protection by helping to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate the law or our policies can be held accountable,” xAI stated on X. The company emphasized a “zero tolerance” approach toward child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.
The restrictions will apply to all X users, including paying subscribers. It remains unclear whether the standalone Grok app will still allow such image creation.
Earlier, Musk posted that he was “not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero,” highlighting the company’s stance that Grok only generates images based on user requests and does not act autonomously.
xAI and X are facing global scrutiny, including investigations by California and UK regulators. Lawmakers and advocacy groups have also urged Apple and Google to remove Grok from their app stores. Countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have either banned the tool or initiated legal action.
In response to public pressure, X last week limited Grok’s public image generation features for non-paying users. However, experts warn that these paywalls may not fully prevent the creation of sexually explicit content using the AI.
In the UK, upcoming legislation will criminalize the creation of non-consensual sexualized images, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer noting that X is working to comply. Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, has also launched an investigation into the tool.
xAI emphasized that users attempting to generate illegal content through Grok will face the same consequences as those who upload illicit material directly.
