Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, has disabled its image creation and editing feature for free users following global backlash over the creation of sexualised deepfake images of women and children.
The restriction was confirmed on Friday after Grok replied to users on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.”
The move means that only users who pay and provide credit card and personal details can now access Grok’s image generation tools.
The decision comes after reports that some users exploited the chatbot to create images of women and children appearing undressed or placed in sexualised positions, sparking outrage from governments and regulators across several countries.
Elon Musk has faced threats of fines and strong criticism as authorities accused the platform of allowing the spread of illegal and harmful content.
The European Commission described the images as unlawful and, on Thursday, ordered X to preserve all internal documents and data linked to Grok until the end of 2026 as part of ongoing investigations.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the platform must take urgent action.
“X has got to get a grip of this,” Starmer said, adding that he had asked the country’s communications regulator, Ofcom, to ensure “all options are on the table.”
He described the images as “unlawful” and said Britain was “not going to tolerate it.”
Other countries, including France, Malaysia and India, have also publicly criticised Musk’s platform over the issue.
Responding to concerns last week, Musk warned users against abusing the tool.
“Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” he wrote on X.
X’s official Safety account later said the company takes action against such material.
It said illegal content is addressed “by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.”
The backlash highlights growing global pressure on artificial intelligence platforms to prevent misuse, especially involving sexual exploitation and child protection, as regulators tighten oversight on emerging technologies.
