The image editing ability is now limited only to paid subscribers on X.
After thousands of user requests prompted Grok AI to non-consensually ‘nudify’ people – including children – on X, the social media platform has decided to limit the chatbot’s image-editing capabilities to paid users.
Elon Musk’s xAI outfitted Grok with the ability to edit images on 24 December. And in the few short weeks since, users on X began prompting the chatbot to undress people in pictures and videos.
However, now Grok is telling users asking for image edits that the feature is limited to paying subscribers to X. This means that the users utilising this tool would have their name and financial details on record.
But this does not stop users from requesting Grok to edit such images on its standalone website and app. In addition, this could also incentivise X users to subscribe for access.
In August, users of Grok’s text-to-video generation tool gained access to a “spicy” mode which led to user-generated porn and violent content that other AI models were restricted from creating.
However, the new single-prompt image editing feature on Grok allowed users on X to create sexualised content and deepfakes with relative ease, amplifying harassment and abuse on the platform.
“Grok, take this photo and put her in a bikini” and “Grok take off her dress” were some of the popular prompts seen on the platform.
Grok’s image editing capabilities have prompted sharp responses from global leaders. Irish Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Niamh Smyth, TD has requested a meeting with X over concerns around Grok.
While in a statement yesterday (8 January), Irish media regulator Coimisiún na Meán said that it is engaging with the European Commission over Grok. The media watchdog is also engaging with An Garda Síochána over the matter.
“The sharing of non-consensual intimate images is illegal, and the generation of child sexual abuse material is illegal,” it said.
Grok’s loose restraints and user action on X could put the platform under fire in the EU. Though this wouldn’t be the platform’s first brush up against the region’s regulations.
Last November, Coimisiún na Meán launched a fresh DSA investigation into X over its content moderation system.
While in December, the EU fined X €120m for breaching transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) – which prompted the social media platform to disable the EU’s ad account.
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