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Elon Musk has said he is unaware of any instances in which Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI and integrated into X, generated sexualised images of underage individuals, as the platform moved to block the tool from editing or creating nude images following global outrage and mounting regulatory pressure.
Responding on X, Elon Musk said: “I not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero.”
The Tesla boss' comments come as scrutiny of generative AI intensifies across the United States, Europe and parts of Asia, with governments, lawmakers and advocacy groups questioning whether current safeguards are sufficient to prevent serious harm.
Elon Musk rejects allegations, defends Grok’s design
Musk was replying to a thread claiming that “only Labour MPs and left wing” figures had encountered the images that triggered international condemnation of Grok. He dismissed suggestions that the chatbot could independently produce illegal content.
“Obviously, Grok does not spontaneously generate images, it does so only according to user requests,” Musk wrote.
He added: “When asked to generate images, it will refuse to produce anything illegal, as the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws of any given country or state.”
Addressing concerns about potential misuse, Musk acknowledged the possibility of malicious prompt manipulation, stating: “There may be times when adversarial hacking of Grok prompts does something unexpected. If that happens, we fix the bug immediately.”
Pressure grows on X in United States and abroad
Elon Musk’s intervention follows calls by Democratic lawmakers in the United States for Apple and Google to remove X and its built-in AI chatbot from their app stores. The appeal was echoed by a coalition of women’s groups, technology watchdogs and progressive activists, citing the spread of non-consensual sexual images of women and minors.
At the same time, X and Musk’s AI company xAI are facing investigations, bans and legal action in countries including Malaysia and Indonesia, where authorities allege failures to adequately protect users from harmful content.
Musk challenges critics, highlights Grok’s popularity
Reiterating his stance, Musk said that anyone using Grok to generate illegal material would face the same consequences as those uploading such content directly. He also publicly challenged critics, asking: “Can anyone actually break Grok image moderation?”
Elon Musk reshared a post by an account named Doge Designer, which stated: “I tried 9 different prompts asking Grok to generate a naked image. Zero success. All the media coverage is simply a relentless attack on Elon Musk. Nothing more than that.”
Alongside the controversy, Musk highlighted Grok’s apparent commercial success, writing: “Grok hitting #1 in several more countries!” Doge Designer added: “Grok app is dominating the Android store too. Just hit #1 in 4 countries 🚀 Brunei, Hong Kong, Norway, Slovenia.”
X blocks Grok from editing revealing images
Despite Musk’s defence, X confirmed on Wednesday evening that Grok would no longer edit “images of real people in revealing clothing” on the platform. The move followed reports that the chatbot had complied with requests to digitally undress images of adults and, in some cases, children.
In a detailed statement titled Grok Account Image Generation Updates, X said: “We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.”
The company said it removes high-priority violative content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), and reports relevant accounts to law enforcement where necessary.
New safeguards and geoblocking measures for Grok
X announced that it had implemented technical measures preventing the Grok account from editing images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis. “This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers,” the statement said.
It also confirmed that image creation and editing via the Grok account on X are now limited to paid subscribers, adding: “This adds an extra layer of protection by helping to ensure that individuals who attempt to abuse the Grok account to violate the law or our policies can be held accountable.”
Under a new geoblocking policy, X said: “We now geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X in those jurisdictions where it’s illegal.”
Legal changes and wider industry challenge for Grok
In the United Kingdom, the law is set to change this week to criminalise the creation of such images. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that X was working to comply with the new legal framework.
X acknowledged the broader implications of the controversy, stating: “The rapid evolution of generative AI presents challenges across the entire industry.” The company said it was working with users, partners, governments and other platforms to respond more quickly as issues emerge.
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