Elon Musk’s xAI has announced that its Grok AI tool will no longer be able to alter images of real people to place them in “revealing clothing such as bikinis,” following global backlash over the tool being used to generate explicit and non-consensual imagery.
The decision came hours after Musk stated he was unaware of any “naked underage images” created by Grok. The tool has faced worldwide scrutiny, as some users have digitally undressed women and children without consent and shared these images on X, Musk’s social media platform. Thousands of such sexualized AI images have circulated on X in recent weeks.
xAI, which owns both Grok and X, said the move “adds an extra layer of protection” to ensure that users who attempt to violate laws or platform policies can be held accountable. The company emphasized its “zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.”
The restrictions announced on Wednesday will apply to all X users, including paying subscribers, though it remains unclear whether the standalone Grok app will have the same limitations.
Musk stressed that Grok generates images only according to user requests and is programmed to refuse illegal content, complying with local laws. He also warned that anyone using Grok to produce illegal material would face the same consequences as if they uploaded it directly.
The announcement follows growing international pressure, including investigations by California and UK regulators, bans and legal actions in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, and calls from three Democratic US senators for Apple and Google to remove X and Grok from app stores. A coalition of women’s groups, tech watchdogs, and activists have made similar appeals.
Last week, X limited Grok’s public image generation and editing features for non-paying users, but experts say the tool could still produce sexually explicit images, and paywall restrictions may not fully prevent misuse.
UK law is set to criminalize the creation of such images this week, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed X is working to comply with the new regulations. Communications regulator Ofcom is also investigating Grok.
X and xAI did not respond to requests for comment.
