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Elon Musk has rejected allegations that Grok, the AI chatbot developed by xAI and integrated into X, produced explicit images of minors. His comments came as X announced fresh restrictions on its AI image tools amid global backlash and rising regulatory pressure.
Responding to criticism on X, Musk said he was unaware of any such incidents. “I am not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero,” he wrote. Musk argued that Grok does not generate images on its own and only responds to user prompts, and that it refuses to produce illegal content under its design rules.
Despite Musk’s defence, X confirmed it has blocked Grok from editing or generating images of real people in revealing clothing.
The platform said the restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers, and reflects its ‘zero tolerance’ stance on child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and abusive content. X added that it removes high-priority violations such as Child Sexual Abuse Material and reports relevant accounts to law enforcement.
Scrutiny around generative AI has intensified in the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia. Authorities in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have launched probes or imposed restrictions, citing concerns over harmful deepfakes and inadequate safeguards. In the UK, new laws coming into force this week will criminalise the creation of such images, prompting X to adjust its systems.
X said image creation and editing via Grok on the platform is now limited to paid subscribers to improve accountability. It has also introduced geoblocking in jurisdictions where generating images of people in revealing attire is illegal.
While Musk has challenged critics to ‘break Grok image moderation’ and highlighted the chatbot’s app rankings in several countries, X acknowledged that rapid advances in AI pose industry-wide challenges. The company said it will continue refining safeguards as pressure from governments and users grows.
