Elon Musk's X still allows users to share sexual images generated by Grok AI tool despite pledge
Despite announcing that it would crack down on restrictions, X was found to still allow people to post sexualised content created by Grok's standalone app.
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Elon Musk's X has sparked further controversy after it continued to allow social media users to post sexualised images created by a Grok AI tool.
In a report by The Guardian, journalists were still able to generate clips of people stripping to bikinis from photographs of fully clothed, real women. It was also still possible to share this content on to X without any sign of it being moderated.
On Wednesday, X said it “implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis”, adding that it had “zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content”.
However, it did not specify whether users would still be able to create such images on Grok's standalone app, known as Grok Imagine, and then share the content publicly on X.
Read more: Elon Musk's X to ban Grok deepfakes showing real people in revealing clothing after backlash
Guardian reporters found that Grok Imagine was still responding to prompts to remove the clothes from images of women.
They uploaded pictures of fully clothed, real-life women and prompted the AI tool to dress them in bikinis. The platform went further than the request and created short videos of them removing their clothes in a provocative way.
Reuters has also reported that its journalists used Grok to create on-demand sexualised photos after the announcements by X.
Media watchdog Ofcom launched an investigation into X earlier this week after concerns over reports Grok was allowing users to sexualise images of women and children.
In response, X said it imposed restrictions on “editing of images of real people in revealing clothing".
“This adds an extra layer of protection by helping to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate the law or our policies can be held accountable,” it explained, adding: “We now geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X in those jurisdictions where it’s illegal.”
Read more: Elon Musk’s X restricts Grok photo editing amid concerns about sexualised images
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said Ofcom would have ministers’ full support to take action against X, including banning the platform in the UK, if the company did not make changes.
Musk has previously said he was not aware of “any naked underage images generated by Grok” and claimed the chatbot would “refuse to produce anything illegal” as its “operating principle” is to “obey the laws of any given country or state”.
The platform has come under fire online, with one X user writing: "Grok’s lapse on sexualised images of minors has become a global regulatory stress test for xAI, unlikely to be fixed with a simple apology or hotfix."
Over on Reddit, another person said: "Just ban X and Grok. Or better yet, ban Elon Musk."