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Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has disabled its image generation feature for users who haven’t paid after facing criticism over its use in creating sexualized deepfake images of women and children.
Musk has been threatened with fines, and several countries publicly condemned the tool that enabled users to manipulate online images to remove clothing from subjects.
On Musk’s social media platform X, Grok responded to user inquiries on Friday with: “Image creation and editing are now limited to paying subscribers. Subscribe to unlock these features.”
This update means many users can no longer generate or alter images with the AI. To access these services, paying customers are required to provide their credit card details and personal information.
The office of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the move, calling it “insulting” to victims and “not a real solution.” A spokesperson from Downing Street stated, “Turning this AI feature into a premium service simply turns a tool for creating unlawful images into a paid feature. It’s insulting to victims of misogyny and sexual violence.”
The European Union’s executive, which previously categorized images of nudity involving women and children as illegal, noted they had “taken note of the recent changes.” However, EU digital affairs spokesperson Thomas Regnier emphasized, “This does not resolve our core concern—regardless of paid or unpaid subscriptions, we do not want such images produced. It’s straightforward.”
He added, “We’re asking platforms to ensure that their design and systems prevent the creation of such illegal content.” In response to the controversy, the European Commission ordered X to retain all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026.
France, Malaysia, and India have also voiced criticism over Musk’s platform concerning this issue.
Last week, Musk affirmed on X that anyone using Grok to produce illegal content would face the same consequences as if they uploaded such material directly, stating, “Anyone creating illegal content with Grok will suffer the same penalties as those who upload illegal content.”
X’s official “Safety” account later stated it addresses illegal content by removing it, permanently suspending offending accounts, and collaborating with local authorities and law enforcement as necessary.
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