Tests suggest Grok’s image-editing restrictions are easy to bypass, even on free accounts.
Regulators in the UK and parts of Asia are probing X over potential violations linked to AI-generated deepfakes.
Critics say X’s safeguards lag behind rivals as pressure mounts over AI misuse and platform accountability.
Elon Musk’s X and Grok have been facing massive criticism and regulatory pressure as the AI chatbot continues to be used to generate non-consensual sexual deepfakes, despite the company’s claims of introducing safeguards. Recent testing and independent investigations indicate that X’s attempts to limit Grok’s image-editing capabilities were ineffective, with users still able to easily create sexualised images.
SurveyPrevious measures by X focused on limiting the image generation via public replies, particularly from free users. However, access to Grok’s image-editing tools remains largely unrestricted through the chatbot interface and its standalone website. More recently, reports indicated that Grok had been updated to refuse prompts involving women in explicit or sexualised scenarios. Yet tests, as per The Verge, showed that these restrictions can be bypassed, with the AI still responding to altered prompts and producing suggestive images.
According to investigations, while Grok now rejects direct requests for full nudity, it continues to comply with cues that sexualise subjects through garment changes, exaggerated physical traits, or provocative stances. These behaviours allegedly do not require a paid subscription, and age verification systems, where available, can simply be avoided. In certain circumstances, there are no age checks at all on X’s platforms.
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The controversy has been met with regulatory pressure, with Malaysia and Indonesia temporarily restricting access to Grok, while UK lawmakers have accelerated legislation targeting non-consensual deepfake imagery. Additionally, British authorities are investigating whether X violated the country’s Online Safety Act, which criminalises the creation and distribution of intimate images without consent, regardless of nudity.
On the other hand, Elon Musk has denied the allegations that Grok generates illegal content, arguing that the AI only responds to user prompts and is designed to comply with local laws. However, experts and watchdog groups dispute this position.
While the entire internet is screaming for new rules, regulations and privacy along with consent, it still remains to be seen how the platform will restrict itself for making it safe.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
