Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, has disabled its image creation and editing feature for non-paying users following intense backlash over the tool’s use to generate sexualised deepfake images of women and children.
The decision comes amid growing international scrutiny of Musk’s social media platform X, where Grok is integrated, after reports emerged that users were exploiting the AI tool to create explicit and unlawful imagery. Some users allegedly generated images depicting women and children undressed and, in some cases, placed in sexualised positions.
In a response to users on Friday, Grok announced the restriction via a post on X, stating: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.” As a result, many users can no longer access the image-related functions unless they provide payment details, including credit card information and personal data.
The move follows threats of fines and mounting pressure from governments and regulators across several countries. The European Commission this week described the images of undressed women and children as unlawful and, on Thursday, ordered X to preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026. The order is part of ongoing investigations into potential breaches of EU digital and child protection laws.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the emergence of the explicit images, saying the platform “has got to get a grip of this”. According to media reports, Starmer confirmed that he had instructed the communications regulator Ofcom to consider “all options”, adding that such content was unlawful and that Britain was “not going to tolerate it”.
Other countries have also voiced concern. France, Malaysia and India have publicly criticised Musk’s platform, warning that the misuse of AI tools to create sexualised or exploitative content poses serious legal and ethical risks.
Musk has sought to distance himself and the platform from responsibility for the illegal use of the tool. Responding last week to a post about the explicit images, he wrote on X: “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”
X’s official Safety account later reinforced this stance, stating that the platform addresses illegal content “by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary”.
The controversy has reignited broader debates about the regulation of generative AI technologies, particularly their capacity to produce harmful deepfakes and sexually explicit material. Critics argue that restricting features to paying users does little to address the underlying risks, while regulators continue to push for stronger safeguards and accountability from technology companies.
As governments tighten oversight, Grok’s restrictions may signal the beginning of more stringent controls on AI-generated content across major platforms.
