Musk's Grok barred from undressing images after global backlash

This photograph taken on January 13, 2025 in Toulouse shows screens displaying the logo of Grok, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, the American company specializing in artificial intelligence and its founder Elon Musk. [AFP]

Elon Musk's platform X on Wednesday announced measures to prevent its AI chatbot Grok from undressing images of real people, following global backlash over its generation of sexualized photos of women and children.

The announcement comes after California's attorney general launched an investigation into Musk's xAI -- the developer of Grok -- over the sexually explicit material and multiple countries either blocked access to the chatbot or launched their own probes.

X said it will "geoblock the ability" of all Grok and X users to create images of people in "bikinis, underwear, and similar attire" in those jurisdictions where such actions are deemed illegal.

"We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis," X's safety team said.

"This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers."

In an "extra layer of protection," image creation and the ability to edit photos via X's Grok account was now only available to paid subscribers, the statement added.

The European Commission, which acts as the EU's digital watchdog, earlier said it had taken note of "additional measures X is taking to ban Grok from generating sexualised images of women and children."

"We will carefully assess these changes to make sure they effectively protect citizens in the EU," European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.

'Shocking'

Pressure had been building on xAI to rein in Grok after its so-called "Spicy Mode" feature allowed users to create sexualized deepfakes using simple text prompts such as "put her in a bikini" or "remove her clothes."

"The avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual, sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said earlier Wednesday.

"We have zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material."

Bonta said the California investigation would determine whether xAI violated state law after the explicit imagery was "used to harass people across the internet."

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that xAI's "vile" decision to allow sexually explicit deepfakes to proliferate prompted him to urge the attorney general to hold the company accountable.

Further adding pressure onto Musk's company Wednesday, a coalition of 28 civil society groups submitted open letters to the CEOs of Apple and Google, urging them to ban Grok and X from their app stores amid the surge in sexualized images.

Indonesia on Saturday became the first country to block access to Grok entirely, with neighboring Malaysia following the next day.

On Thursday, Malaysia's communications minister said national regulators had found that X's steps to prevent Grok generating indecent images were "not done in totality".

If X can successfully deactivate and prevent the generation of such online content considered harmful, Malaysia will lift the temporary restriction imposed on Grok, minister Fahmi Fadzil said.

India has said X removed thousands of posts and hundreds of user accounts in response to its complaints.

And Britain's Ofcom media regulator said Monday it was opening a probe into whether X failed to comply with UK law over the sexual images.

Last week, an analysis of more than 20,000 Grok-generated images by Paris non-profit AI Forensics found that more than half depicted "individuals in minimal attire" -- most of them women, and two percent appearing to be minors.