Elon Musk’s social media platform X is facing strong criticism after its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, was found to be used to create sexualised and abusive image edits. The tool allowed users to digitally alter photos of women and girls, including requests to remove clothing, often without consent. The issue triggered widespread outrage from experts, charities and the government. In response, X has restricted Grok’s image editing tools to paying users only. This means people must have verified accounts and payment details to use these features. Critics say this does not fix the main problem and that the change came only after serious harm had already happened.
The controversy began when users discovered that Grok could be prompted to edit images of people to make them appear undressed or in minimal clothing. Many women whose images were targeted said they felt humiliated and violated. Child protection groups later revealed that some images linked to Grok appeared to show girls aged between 11 and 13, raising concerns about criminal material.
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The Indian government expressed deep concern over reports that users were able to digitally alter images to remove clothing or sexualise individuals without consent. Officials mentioned such misuse does not align with India’s zero-tolerance policy on online abuse, especially in the case of women and minors.
According to sources, the platforms operating in India are supposed to implement strong safeguards by design, and reactive steps taken after public outrage would not be good enough compliance. Furthermore, the Indian government also recently issued a notice to X for removing the explicit Grok content in 72 hours.
According to officials, the fact that Grok was capable of generating such images points to a systemic failure in content moderation and AI governance. Authorities also flagged alarming claims from child protection groups that some altered images appeared to involve girls aged between 11 and 13, raising the risk of criminal liability under Indian laws related to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
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The government said that charging money for these tools, or limiting them to paid users, does not remove a company’s responsibility. After strong public criticism, X restricted Grok’s image-editing features to paid and verified users.
However, Indian regulators are not convinced, saying that paid access does not stop harm and the tools can still be misused on a large scale. Experts advising the government said traceability alone cannot compensate for the irreversible harm caused to victims whose images were already circulated.
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In comparison, the UK government has also taken a firm line. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the Grok-generated images as disgraceful and unlawful, backing regulator Ofcom to act under the Online Safety Act. Such powers would include court orders that might limit X’s activities or funding in the UK. Even for the UK, the approach emphasises enforcement authority, in contrast to the Indian position, which emphasises preventive measures to avoid the possibility of harmful outcomes.
Elon Musk said demand for the chatbot has risen sharply across several countries, pushing it to the top of productivity charts. Musk added that his AI company xAI is expanding computing capacity to cope with increased traffic. However, he has not directly addressed the government’s concerns or the specific misuse involving women and minors.