X limits Grok AI image generation feature to paid users after reports of sexualised deepfakes

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has limited access to its AI tool Grok’s image generation feature to paid users, after mounting reports of people using it to make sexualised deepfakes.  

Earlier this week, the tool had been acting on requests by some X users to make “sexualised images of children” and undress women. 

Some accounts had requested the AI chatbot edit images of women to appear in bikinis without the person in the photo’s consent, and there had been some examples of images that had been put in sexual situations.     

The UK’s media regulator Ofcom said it was “aware of serious concerns” about the feature and had “made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK”.   

Reacting at the same time to the reports, Musk said on X: “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.” 

Now Grok is informing users that image generation on the social media platform is only available to paid subscribers. 

Accounts with these subscriptions have given their name and payment details to the company.   

However, non-subscribers can still use Grok’s image generation feature on its separate app or website.  

Downing Street has called the move “insulting” to victims of misogyny and sexual violence, adding that it “simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service”. 

A spokesperson for the prime minister said: “It is time for X to grip this issue. If another media company had billboards in town centres showing unlawful images, it would act immediately to take them down or face public backlash.” 

It follows comments earlier this week by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described the sexualised images of women and children by Grok as “disgraceful” and “disgusting”, adding that Ofcom had the government’s “full support” to act on the content.   

In response to the recent reports, X's safety account, @Safety, said: “We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.

“Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.

“For more information on our policies, please refer to our help pages for our full X Rules and range of enforcement options.”