SAN FRANCISCO, 9 January 2026 — xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, has restricted the image generation feature of its Grok chatbot on X to paid subscribers following widespread backlash over the creation of sexualised images.
The move comes after Grok’s image generation tools were used to edit or create sexualised photos on X. A review by Reuters found the feature had been used to generate images of women and children in minimal clothing, often without the consent of the individuals depicted.
The spread of semi-nude images on the platform prompted strong reactions from European lawmakers. German media minister Wolfram Weimer described the phenomenon as the “industrialisation of sexual harassment,” while the European Commission said such images were illegal.
On Friday, Grok informed X users that its image generation and editing functions are now available only to paying subscribers of the platform.
The restriction does not apply to the standalone Grok application, which operates independently from X and continues to allow image generation without a subscription.
In a test, a Reuters reporter asked Grok on X to convert a photograph of himself into one wearing a bikini, a request that had become common among users in recent days. The chatbot declined and replied that the image-generation tool was available only to paid subscribers.
In response to a request for comment, xAI sent an automated email reply stating, “Legacy Media Lies.” X did not immediately respond to a separate request for comment.
The European Commission said earlier this week that the circulation of such images on X was unlawful and appalling. Britain’s data protection regulator added that it had asked the platform to explain how it was complying with data protection laws, following concerns that Grok was generating sexually abusive images of women.
Musk said last week that users who employ Grok to create illegal content would face the same consequences as if they had uploaded such material directly to the platform.
