In a response to the rising deepfake and digital abuse of women and children online, Elon Musk has limited access to Grok AI's image editing feature to paid users only. Musk has put image creation, especially for sexually explicit images, behind a paywall for now. This comes after widespread criticism over Grok AI's use to create sexualised deepfakes of real people - particularly women and children - without their consent.
Response from Elon Musk and X
In direct response to the controversy, X is now restricting Grok's image editing capabilities to paid subscribers only. BBC reports that users now require a verified subscription with their name and payment details on file to access the feature.
When users attempt to generate such content without a paid account, Grok informs them that the functionality is limited to subscribers. This change aims to reduce widespread misuse by making the tool less accessible to free users.
X/ Adrian Weckler
Elon Musk and X have stated that anyone prompting Grok to create illegal content, such as non-consensual intimate images, will face the same consequences as if they uploaded such material themselves, including account suspensions and cooperation with law enforcement.
xAI's acceptable use policy already prohibits depicting likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner, though enforcement has faced scrutiny.
Backlash over non-consensual deepfakes
This comes after several reports of users exploiting Grok's image editing tool to digitally alter photographs of individuals, particularly women and children, by undressing them and putting them in a bikini, or placing them in sexualised situations without permission. Experts and rights activists describe this as online abuse amplified by technology.
This sparked significant outrage, with victims describing that the experience 'left her feeling violated and powerless'. Concerns also arose regarding sexualised images of children. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a formal notice to X, demanding explanations and action to curb the spread of obscene and non-consensual content.
