X restricts Grok’s image generation to paying subscribers only after drawing the world’s ire

New York: Elon Musk’s AI company has made changes to Grok’s image tool. Now, only paying subscribers on X can use the feature. This decision comes after the tool faced heavy criticism. The feature allowed users to create sexualized images of women and even children. Many people around the world were upset by this.

On Friday, Grok told users about the new rule. It said only those who pay would be able to create and edit images. Interestingly, the Grok app is different. It still lets anyone create images without paying.

At first, anyone could use Grok’s image tool, but there were limits each day. Users could upload pictures and ask for edits or even sexualized versions. This led to a lot of non-consensual images of children and famous people. Countries like the U.K., the EU, and India quickly criticized X and Grok for this misuse.

Both X and Musk spoke out against these types of images. They said they would enforce rules against illegal content. Musk tweeted that anyone creating illegal content with Grok would face the same consequences as if they posted it directly on the site.

The U.K., European Union, and India expressed their concerns. The EU requested Grok to keep all records about the chatbot. India’s communications ministry also asked X to fix the issues or risk losing its safety protections. The U.K.’s communication watchdog reported that it was in contact with Grok about the problem.