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

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

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.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Thomas Regnier 40% European Union ×360% Keir Starmer ×270% UK ×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%

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Negative

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Al Jazeera

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90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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deepfakes ai image generation grok elon musk sexualized images x (social media)european commission data protection laws uk misogyny

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