Elon Musk’s AI bot Grok limits image generation amid deepfakes backlash

Al Jazeera TechnologyNews ReportEN 2 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesJanuary 9, 2026 at 03:37 PM

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Mother of Elon Musk’s child sues his AI company over Grok deepfake images

AI Summary

short article 2 min

In January 2026, Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok limited image generation on X to paying subscribers due to backlash over deepfakes, including sexually explicit images of women and children. The move followed threats of fines and public criticism from several countries and regulators, including the European Commission and the UK's data regulator. These entities expressed concerns about unlawful and abusive images generated by Grok. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office criticized the limitation as insufficient and insulting to victims, arguing it turns the harmful feature into a premium service. The EU also stated that the subscription change did not address their fundamental concerns about the AI's potential for misuse. The standalone Grok app still allows image generation without a subscription.

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Technology

Primary framing

Human Rights

Secondary framing

Measured

Sensationalism

Factual

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OpinionFactual

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Key Claims (5)

AI-Extracted

Limiting access to paying subscribers is 'insulting' to victims and 'not a solution'.

quote — Keir Starmer’s office100% confidence

EU says images circulating on X were unlawful and appalling.

quote — European Commission100% confidence

The standalone Grok app still allows image generation without a subscription.

factual100% confidence

Image generation is now only available to paying subscribers on X.

factual — Grok100% confidence

Grok limited image generation on X amid backlash over deepfakes.

factual100% confidence

Claims are automatically extracted and should be independently verified. Attribution indicates the stated source of the claim.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Thomas Regnier 40% European Union ×360% Keir Starmer ×270% United Kingdom ×270% X ×585% Elon Musk ×290% Grok ×695%

Keywords

deepfakes 90% ai image generation 90% grok 80% elon musk 70% sexualized images 70% x (social media) 60% european commission 50% data protection laws 50% uk 40% misogyny 40%