Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence model, Grok, will no longer be permitted to edit images of real people to depict them in revealing outfits in regions where such activity is against the law.
The move follows mounting global concern over the rise of sexualised AI-generated deepfakes.
In a notice posted on X, the platform that hosts Grok, the company said, “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.
“This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers.”
The announcement came just hours after California’s Attorney General confirmed the state had launched an investigation into the spread of sexualised AI deepfakes, including images involving children, allegedly created using the Grok model.
X later clarified that the restriction is being enforced through regional controls.
“We now geoblock the ability of all users to generate images of real people in bikinis, underwear, and similar attire via the Grok account and in Grok in X in those jurisdictions where it’s illegal,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The firm also reiterated that only paying subscribers will retain access to Grok’s image-editing tools. According to X, the measure is intended to strengthen accountability and discourage misuse of the AI system in ways that violate the law or the platform’s policies.
With NSFW settings switched on, Grok is designed to permit limited nudity involving fictional adult characters, Musk explained.
“Upper body nudity of imaginary adult humans (not real ones)” is allowed, he said, in line with what appears in R-rated films.
“That is the de facto standard in America. This will vary in other regions according to the laws on a country by country basis,” Musk added.
Earlier, Musk had defended X against criticism, arguing that opponents “just want to suppress free speech”, while sharing two AI-generated images of UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer depicted in a bikini.
The controversy has drawn sharp reactions worldwide. Over the weekend, Malaysia and Indonesia became the first countries to ban Grok entirely after users reported that the tool was being used to create explicit images without consent.
Regulators in the UK have also stepped in. Britain’s media watchdog, Ofcom, said on Monday that it was examining whether X breached UK laws concerning sexual imagery.
Sir Keir warned that the platform could lose its “right to self regulate”, though he later welcomed reports that X was taking steps to address the issue. Several British lawmakers have since quit the platform in protest.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said on Wednesday, “This material, which depicts women and children in nude and sexually explicit situations, has been used to harass people across the internet.”
Policy researcher Riana Pfefferkorn criticised X for acting too slowly, saying safeguards should have been introduced immediately once abuse emerged.
She also raised doubts about how effectively the company can enforce its new rules, including how Grok will determine whether an image features a real person and how violations will be handled.
Pfefferkorn added that Musk’s conduct has not helped the situation, arguing that the company would be taken more seriously if he stopped “doing things like re-posting an AI image of Keir Starmer in a bikini.”
