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Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok has restricted parts of its image generation and editing features to paid subscribers on X, following global criticism over the tool being used to "digitally undress" people, including women and children. The change surfaced late this week as scrutiny from governments and regulators intensified.
Users attempting to generate images by tagging Grok directly in public posts on X are now met with a notice stating that image generation and editing are "currently limited to paying subscribers," along with a prompt to subscribe. The limitation appears narrowly targeted. Users can still access image editing through the "edit image" button on uploaded posts, while Grok's standalone website and mobile app continue to offer image and video generation for free.
The move follows weeks of controversy surrounding Grok Imagine, which critics say lacked sufficient safeguards to prevent the creation of sexually explicit deepfake-style images. The backlash came amid reports that Musk had privately expressed frustration with Grok's safety guardrails during internal meetings at xAI. Several senior members of xAI's safety team, including its head of product safety, exited the company shortly before the controversy erupted.
Governments across Europe and Asia have publicly raised concerns. Officials in the United Kingdom, European Union, France, Malaysia and India have all criticized the tool, with some labeling the manipulated images unlawful. A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the subscription restriction as inadequate, arguing it merely turns the creation of illegal content into a paid feature rather than eliminating it.
European Union officials echoed that sentiment, noting that whether access is paid or free is irrelevant if the technology allows prohibited material to be generated. The European Commission has ordered X to preserve internal records and data linked to Grok through the end of 2026 as part of its review.
In the United States, a group of senators urged Apple and Google to consider removing X and Grok from their app stores, citing potential violations of platform distribution rules. Meanwhile, Musk defended the company's stance, stating that users who create illegal content with Grok would face the same consequences as those who upload prohibited material directly.
Despite the backlash, X executive s highlighted record engagement levels during the height of the controversy. Separately, xAI announced it had closed a $20 billion Series E funding round, exceeding its initial target.
X did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether further restrictions are planned as regulatory pressure continues to mount.
