In a significant policy reversal, the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk, has announced it will block its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, from generating edited images that undress pictures of real people.
Technological Measures Enacted
The company stated on Thursday 15 January 2026 that it has implemented new restrictions on the AI tool's capabilities. "We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis," an official statement confirmed.
This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers to X's premium services, closing a loophole that had previously allowed wider access to the feature.
Mounting Political and Regulatory Pressure
The decision follows intense criticism from both sides of the Atlantic concerning the chatbot's controversial image-editing functions. In the United Kingdom, government ministers had threatened the platform with legal action.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer labelled non-consensual sexual images produced by Grok as "disgusting" and "shameful" during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday. He informed MPs: "I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law. If so, that is welcome, but we're not going to back down, and they must act."
Britain's media regulator, Ofcom, has also launched a formal investigation into the matter.
International Scrutiny and Investigations
The platform's announcement came just hours after the state of California revealed its own probe into the spread of sexualised imagery created by Grok, which reportedly included images of children. This dual pressure from major English-speaking markets appears to have precipitated X's swift response.
The controversy highlights the growing regulatory challenges facing powerful generative AI tools, particularly concerning deepfakes and non-consensual intimate imagery. The move by X represents a direct attempt to address these concerns head-on and pre-empt potential legal penalties.
As the story develops, further details on the precise nature of the technological blocks and the outcomes of the ongoing investigations are expected.
