Elon Musk's AI company, X. Corp, has restricted access to Grok's AI image-generation feature, limiting its use to paying subscribers on the X platform. The change followed widespread criticism of the tool's capacity to generate sexualized and nude images, including those depicting women and children. According to statements made by Grok on Friday in response to user inquiries, only paying subscribers will now be able to generate and edit images on the platform.

However, these restrictions do not currently extend to the Grok app, which, at the time of reporting, still allowed users to generate images without a paid subscription. The image-generation feature, initially available to all users with daily limits, enabled the uploading of images for editing or the creation of sexualized or nude versions. This capability led to a surge of non-consensual, sexualized images featuring children, actors, models, and public figures, sparking international condemnation.

X and Musk have publicly condemned the misuse of the tool, reaffirming the company's commitment to enforcing its policies against the posting of illegal content on the social media platform. "Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content," the company stated.

The controversy highlights the challenges inherent in deploying AI image generation technology responsibly. The ability to manipulate and generate images raises significant ethical concerns, particularly regarding consent, privacy, and the potential for misuse. The incident also underscores the importance of robust content moderation policies and enforcement mechanisms to prevent the creation and dissemination of harmful or illegal content.

The decision to restrict Grok's image generation to paying subscribers represents a shift in X's approach to managing the technology. While the move may mitigate some of the risks associated with the tool, it also raises questions about accessibility and the potential for a two-tiered system where paying users have greater access to potentially problematic AI capabilities. The long-term implications of this decision for the development and deployment of AI image generation technology remain to be seen. The company has not yet announced when or if the Grok app will also be subject to the same restrictions.