Musk Restricts Grok AI Image Generation to Paid Users Following Deepfake Backlash

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has restricted image generation and editing features on the Grok chatbot to paid X subscribers following an intense global backlash. The move follows reports that the tool was being weaponized to create non-consensual sexualized images of women and children. Effective Friday, free users on the social media platform are met with a message stating that these creative tools are now exclusive to Premium and Premium+ members. The restriction serves as a primary response to evidence that Grok lacked the robust safety filters found in competing AI models. Investigations by Reuters revealed that users were able to prompt the bot to "undress" individuals or generate explicit depictions of minors. This flood of deepfake content triggered immediate condemnation from international regulatory bodies and human rights advocates.

European officials have been particularly vocal about the platform's failure to prevent the spread of illegal material. German media minister Wolfram Weimer described the phenomenon as the industrialization of sexual harassment while the European Commission labeled the circulating images as unlawful and appalling. The Commission has since ordered X to preserve all internal documentation related to Grok as part of a formal investigation under the Digital Services Act.

Critics argue that placing the tool behind a paywall does not resolve the underlying safety concerns. A spokesperson for the British Prime Minister described the decision as insulting to victims, suggesting that it effectively turns abuse into a premium, monetized service. Despite the new barrier on the main X platform, reports indicate that the standalone Grok application may still allow free image generation without the same subscription requirements.

Elon Musk has maintained that individuals using the technology to create illegal content will face the same legal consequences as those who upload such material directly. However, xAI’s official communication channel has remained dismissive of the controversy. When asked for comment regarding the safety failures, the company’s press email provided an automated response stating that legacy media lies.