Elon Musk's X blocks Grok from undressing images of real people amid AI misuse row

Social media platform X said it has introduced new restrictions on image generation and editing through its AI chatbot Grok, following global backlash over the misuse of the tool to create sexualised images of women.

In a post from its official Safety account, X said it had implemented technological measures to prevent Grok from editing images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis.

“This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers,” it said.

The company also said that image creation and editing through Grok on the X platform are now available only to paying subscribers.

“This adds an extra layer of protection by helping to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate the law or our policies can be held accountable,” it added.

In jurisdictions where such content is illegal, X said it has geoblocked the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear or similar attire via Grok.

“We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone,” the company said, reiterating zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation material, non-consensual nudity and unwanted sexual content.

The changes come amid mounting regulatory scrutiny worldwide after users on X began prompting Grok to digitally alter images of women by stripping or sexualising them, often reducing clothing to bikinis or underwear.

In several instances, Grok appeared to comply with such prompts, generating altered images based on user instructions.

X owner Elon Musk initially appeared to poke fun at the episode, reacting with laugh-cry emojis to AI-edited images of public figures, including himself, in bikinis.

The ministry asked the company to submit a detailed action taken report within 72 hours, outlining technical and organisational measures adopted or proposed for Grok, the role of the chief compliance officer, steps taken against offending content and users, and mechanisms to ensure compliance with mandatory reporting requirements under Indian law.

In its directive, the ministry said Grok was being misused to create and disseminate obscene images or videos of women, including by targeting women who post their own photos, calling it a serious failure of platform-level safeguards and a gross misuse of AI technologies.

The government also warned X that exemptions from liability under India’s Information Technology Act are conditional on strict compliance with due diligence obligations, and that failure to do so could expose the platform to legal action under multiple laws.

While X later submitted a detailed response to the government, a PTI report cited officials as saying the reply lacked specific case-wise data on content takedowns, timelines and enforcement outcomes, which authorities consider critical to assessing compliance.