• X has restricted its AI chatbot Grok from generating sexualized images of real people.
• The changes follow global backlash and an investigation by California’s Attorney General.
• Multiple countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, have blocked access to Grok.
• The European Commission is monitoring X’s compliance with new safety measures.
• X now limits image creation capabilities to paid subscribers as an additional safety measure.

X, the platform owned by Elon Musk, has announced new restrictions on its AI chatbot Grok to prevent the generation of sexualized images of real people. This decision follows a global backlash against Grok's previous capabilities, which allowed users to create sexualized deepfakes of women and children. According to X's safety team, "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," a restriction that applies to all users, including paid subscribers, according to BBC, Channel News Asia, and Business Insider.

The announcement follows an investigation initiated by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who condemned the "avalanche of reports detailing the non-consensual, sexually explicit material" produced by Grok. Bonta stated, "We have zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material." The investigation aims to determine whether xAI, Grok's developer, violated state law as the explicit content has been used to harass individuals online, according to Channel News Asia, South China Morning Post, and Business Insider.

In response to the heightened scrutiny, X announced that it will "geoblock the ability" to create images in revealing attire in jurisdictions where such actions are illegal. The European Commission has also expressed that it will assess the new measures X is implementing to ensure effective protection for EU citizens against Grok's capabilities to produce sexualized imagery, according to Channel News Asia, South China Morning Post, and BBC.

Moreover, since the backlash, countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia have taken remarkable measures by suspending access to Grok, while India's action involved removing thousands of posts and accounts linked to the generated explicit content. The UK's media regulator, Ofcom, has also stated it is investigating whether X has complied with UK laws related to the sexual images, according to Channel News Asia and South China Morning Post.