X tightens safeguards on Grok after global backlash over sexualised AI images and probes

Elon Musk’s social media platform X announced new safeguards on Wednesday (14 Jan) to prevent its AI chatbot Grok from generating or editing sexualised images of real people, following widespread criticism over the creation of explicit content involving women and children.

The announcement comes after California’s attorney general launched an investigation into Musk’s xAI – the developer of Grok – over sexually explicit material, while multiple countries have either blocked access to the chatbot or opened their own probes.

In a statement, X said it would “geoblock the ability” of Grok and X users to create images of people in “bikinis, underwear and similar attire” in regions where such activity is deemed illegal.

The platform’s safety team said it had implemented technological measures to stop Grok from editing images of real individuals into revealing clothing, stressing that the restriction applies to all users.

As an additional safeguard, X said image creation and photo-editing features on Grok would now only be available to paid subscribers.

Regulatory scrutiny in Europe and the United States

The European Commission said earlier that it had taken note of “additional measures X is taking to ban Grok from generating sexualised images of women and children”.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the bloc would “carefully assess these changes” to ensure they effectively protect citizens in the EU, following sharp criticism over the creation of non-consensual undressed images.

In the United States, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation into xAI over the production and dissemination of sexually explicit material.

“The avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual, sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking,” Bonta said, adding that authorities had “zero tolerance” for AI-generated intimate images or child sexual abuse material.

He said the probe would examine whether xAI violated state law after such imagery was allegedly used to harass individuals online.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said xAI’s decision to allow sexually explicit deepfakes to proliferate was “vile”, and that he had urged the attorney general to hold the company accountable.

Global pressure has been building on xAI since Grok’s so-called “Spicy Mode” allowed users to generate sexualised deepfakes using simple text prompts such as “put her in a bikini” or “remove her clothes”.

On Wednesday, a coalition of 28 civil society groups submitted open letters to the chief executives of Apple and Google, urging them to remove Grok and X from their app stores amid the surge in sexualised images.

Blocks and investigations

Indonesia became the first country to block access to Grok entirely on Saturday (10 Jan), citing concerns over the widespread distribution of fake pornographic content generated by the chatbot.

The Ministry of Communication and Digital said the move was a preventive measure to protect vulnerable groups, particularly women and children.

Neighbouring Malaysia followed on Sunday, with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission saying it had previously issued notices to X after detecting “repeated misuse” of Grok to generate harmful content.

The regulator said X’s response failed to address the inherent risks in its platform design and focused mainly on user reporting mechanisms. It added that Grok would remain blocked until effective safeguards are implemented.

India said on Sunday that X had removed thousands of posts and hundreds of user accounts following complaints from its authorities.

In Britain, media regulator Ofcom said on Monday that it had opened an investigation into whether X breached UK law over the generation and spread of sexual images.

France’s commissioner for children, Sarah El Hairy, said on Tuesday that she had referred Grok-generated images to French prosecutors, media regulator Arcom and EU authorities.