X restricts Grok’s image edits after backlash over sexualised AI content

Elon Musk-owned social platform X has announced new safeguards to curb its AI chatbot Grok from generating or editing images of real people in sexually explicit ways, following mounting international backlash over the tool’s misuse.

The company said it will geoblock certain image-editing features of Grok in regions where such content violates local law. This includes blocking the creation or alteration of images showing individuals in bikinis, underwear or similar revealing clothing.

“We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing,” X’s safety team said, adding that the restrictions apply to all users, including paid subscribers.

The announcement came just hours after the California attorney general launched an investigation into xAI, the developer of Grok, over the recent generation of non-consensual, sexually explicit material.

Pressure has been building on the company since Grok’s controversial ‘Spicy Mode’ feature allowed users to generate sexualised deepfakes of women and children using basic prompts such as “remove her clothes” or “put her in a bikini,” triggering widespread criticism from child-protection groups, governments and regulators.

Regulatory action has accelerated across multiple countries. Indonesia became the first nation to block Grok entirely, with Malaysia following days later. In India, authorities said X had removed thousands of posts and hundreds of user accounts after government complaints. In the UK, media regulator Ofcom has opened a probe into whether X breached domestic laws on harmful content. Meanwhile in France, the country’s commissioner for children has referred the matter to national prosecutors, media regulator Arcom, and the European Union.

The coordinated regulatory response underscores the intensifying global push to hold AI developers accountable for harmful content generated by their systems.