Elon Musk’s xAI restricts Grok image generation to paid users after backlash over sexualized AI images

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI just pulled the plug on free image generation inside Grok, locking the feature behind a paywall after a week of backlash over sexually explicit AI creations circulating on X.

The move follows a Reuters investigation that found Grok’s image tool had been used to generate sexualized photos of women and children, often without consent. Users could edit existing images or create new ones, resulting in a surge of semi-nude content across the platform. The scale of the issue caught the attention of European officials, who promptly raised it.

German media minister Wolfram Weimer described the trend as the “industrialisation of sexual harassment,” a line that quickly spread across the European press, Reuters reported. The European Commission went further, calling the content illegal. Britain’s data protection watchdog joined the fray, demanding answers from X about how it plans to stay within privacy laws after concerns that Grok was producing abusive images of women.

By Friday, Grok began responding to users with a blunt message: image generation and editing now require a paid subscription. A Reuters reporter tested the change by asking Grok on X to convert a photo of a person wearing a bikini, a request that had become routine over the past week. The bot refused, repeating that the tool is now restricted to subscribers.

There’s a twist, though. The standalone Grok app still allows users to generate images without paying, raising questions about how consistently xAI plans to enforce its policies across its products.

In a response to an email to Reuters, xAI said in a short, cryptic message: “Legacy Media Lies.” X did not respond to requests for comment.

Musk had already tried to draw a line in the sand last week, warning that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as if they uploaded that material themselves. Regulators appear unconvinced. European officials continue to press the platform, and scrutiny from data protection authorities shows no signs of slowing.

For Musk’s AI venture, the episode highlights a growing tension facing generative tools: scale brings attention, and attention brings accountability. Grok may now sit behind a paywall, but the regulatory spotlight is only getting brighter.