Elon Musk limits access to Grok as experts criticize his childlike behaviour over deepfake nudes

Elon Musk has limited access to Grok on X following the tidal wave of criticism surrounding the exploitation of women and girls on the platform.

Grok, xAI’s chatbot, has been limited to subscribers only after the AI tool was slammed for allowing X users to create sexualized deepfake images of women and children.

When prompted, the chatbot now informs users that it can only fulfill requests for paid subscribers.

If users’ names and payment information are on file, then Grok may fulfill requests to edit images.

Users who aren’t subscribed to Grok via X can still use the chatbot to edit images on its dedicated app and website, demonstrating a complete lack of accountability on Elon Musk’s end.

Experts have criticized Musk for not “taking the responsible steps to ensure Grok could not be used for abusive purposes,” Professor Clare McGlynn, an expert in legal regulation of pornography, sexual violence, and online abuse, told the BBC.

McGlynn also said that Musk has “thrown his toys out of the pram in protest” after being held accountable for “the tsunami of abuse.”

This revocation of access also “does not undo the harm which has been done,” Hannah Swirsky, head of policy at the Internet Watch Foundation, told the BBC.

Governments around the world have condemned these sexualized deepfake images, calling on X to comply with digital laws and threatening the platform with fines and investigations.

Ofcom, the UK’s regulator for the communications services, said that the agency “has made urgent contact” with X to understand the steps the company took to protect UK users and promised to make a swift assessment over potential compliance issues.

However, Andrew Murray, a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, told Cybernews that “Investigations take time, and the politics of taking interventionist measures against X by Ofcom in the current climate would make such actions a political hot potato.”

Despite the challenge, women have taken a stand against Grok by asking the chatbot not to modify images of them.

However, these “Hey Grok, I do not authorize…” posts are more symbolic than they are effective, as they mirror the “Goodbye Facebook AI” privacy hoax of 2024.

Experts agree that something needs to be done about Grok, as the AI chatbot and its lack of guardrails are doing more harm than good.

Following the Grok sexualization scandal, the AI tool has also been spreading misinformation regarding a fatal shooting in Minneapolis.

Grok has been caught spreading falsehoods about an ICE agent who shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Curious what others think about this story? Contribute your thoughts to the debate below.

Social media has been flooded with posts surrounding the ICE agent who shot a woman in Minneapolis.

The posts not only include eye witness videos of the shooting, but also feature images where X users claim they have uncovered the identity of the agent who killed the woman.

Following the fatal shooting, X users began using xAI’s chatbot Grok to “unmask” the ICE agent responsible for Good’s death.

Experts agree that using AI to identify a masked individual is ineffective and lacks credibility when it comes to biometric identification.

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