Grok to offer image generation only to paid subscribers after backlash

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok on Friday turned off its image creation feature for non-paying users of X following backlash over its use in creating sexualised deepfakes of women and children.

Owned by Elon Musk and developed by xAI, Grok’s image-generation and editing tools have faced backlash on the social media platform X after netizens raised concerns about the chatbot generating nude images of women and children.

Musk has also been threatened with fines, and several countries have recently pushed back publicly against the tool over its creation of sexually explicit imagery.

Replying to users on Musk’s social media platform X, Grok posted: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.”

The change means many users of the tool can no longer generate or edit images using the AI. Paying customers must provide the platform with their credit card information and personal details.

The European Commission this week said the photos of undressed women and children were unlawful and on Thursday ordered X to retain all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said X has “got to get a grip of this” and stated that he has asked communications regulator Ofcom “for all options to be on the table,” according to media reports. He called the images “unlawful” and said Britain was “not going to tolerate it.” France, Malaysia and India have also criticised Musk’s platform over the issue.

“Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” Musk wrote on X last week in response to a post about the explicit images.

X’s official “Safety” account subsequently said it addresses illegal content on X “by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.“

Users now have to subscribe to access image-generating features on X, which were initially rolled out for free with daily limits.

However, users can avail Grok’s image-generating and editing features for free on its separate app.

In December 2025, a controversy erupted on X after users were found exploiting Grok’s tools to edit and manipulate photographs, including digitally undressing people, including children or portraying them in minimal clothing such as bikinis.

Reuters, BBC, and other news outlets also documented numerous cases where Grok had generated sexualised images of women and minors.

from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/zaXP5EI

Comments

Ministers rubbish notion that proposed retirement age extension to favour ‘one particular institution’

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday rubbished the notion that a proposed extension in the retirement age was to favour “one particular institution”, adding that the move would be implemented across the board if approved. The rebuttal comes in the wake of media reports claiming that the government was mulling changes to the Constitution to fix the tenure of the chief justice . Currently, judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, retire after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 65 years, as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution. While giving his opinion recently on the reports of the constitutional amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had said he “will not vehemently turn down the proposals related to the tenure of the chief justice”. Addressing the issue during a press conference in Islamabad today along since Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the law minister, Attaullah said the extension in the retirement age was “a proposal to a...

The Republican primary race for president in 2024

The Republican primary race for president in 2024 is already shaping up to be a competitive one. There are a number of high-profile candidates who have already announced their intention to run, and more are expected to join the field in the coming months. The frontrunner for the nomination is former President Donald Trump. Trump has been teasing a 2024 run for months, and he has a large and loyal following among Republican voters. However, he is also a polarizing figure, and his candidacy could alienate some moderate Republicans. Another potential contender for the nomination is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been praised by many conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He is also seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott. Pence is a more traditional Republican who could appeal to moderate vote...

In pictures: Grief in Gaza and the loss of a child

In the photo, the woman cradles a child in her arms, balanced on her knee. It is an image that resonates, as ancient as human history. But in a grim inversion of the familiar, we see that the child she holds close is a corpse, wrapped in a shroud. It is a quiet moment of intense grief. The woman wears a headscarf and her head is bowed. We cannot see who she is nor can we learn anything about the child — not even if it is a boy or girl. Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. The child is one of many who have lost their lives on both sides in the Israel-Hamas war. Most have names we will never know, whose deaths will spark a lifetime of grief for family members we will never meet. In the 21st century, an average of almost 20 children a day have been killed or maimed in wars around the world, according to Unicef. Reuter...

Infinity Social Updates

Search This Blog