Changes to Elon Musk’s AI chatbot are “insulting” to victims of misogyny and sexual violence and will only serve to make creating deepfakes a “premium service”, Downing Street has said.
The “Grok” tool on X/Twitter began replying to image requests by indicating the service is only available to “paying subscribers” on Friday, following global backlash over reports it has been used to generate sexualised images of women and children.
The move came after Sir Keir Starmer indicated that the social media platform could be blocked in the UK after “unlawful” and “disgusting” images were generated.
The prime minister’s spokesperson said changes to limit usage of the AI image tool to paying users are “not a solution” but do prove that social Elon Musk’s social media site can move quickly when it wants to.
The spokesperson said: “That move… that simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service.
“It’s not a solution. In fact, it’s insulting the victims of misogyny and sexual violence. What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so.”
He added: “You heard the prime minister yesterday. He was abundantly clear that X needs to act and needs to act now, it is time for X to grip this issue.
“If another media company had billboards in town centres showing unlawful images, it would act immediately to take them down or face public backlash.”
He reiterated that “all options” are on the table, including for Ofcom to use its powers to “take any action”.
The platform has faced global backlash in recent days after its AI tool was repeatedly used to generate undressed images of people without consent.
The changes in the rules mean only those with their name and payment information on file will be able to use.
Leading domestic abuse charity Refuge warned the Grok subscriptions represent the “monetisation of abuse” and allow X to “profit from harm”.
“While limiting AI image generation to paid users may marginally reduce volume and improve traceability, the abuse has not been stopped,” Emma Pickering, head of technology-facilitated abuse and economic empowerment at Refuge, said.
“It has simply been placed behind a paywall, allowing X to profit from harm. This response comes far too late, after a disturbing number of images have already been created and circulated. Traceability offers little comfort when conviction rates for intimate image abuse remain woefully low.”
She added: “If platforms allow abuse to persist – or worse, profit from it – the government must intervene.”
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) also confirmed the tool had been used to create “criminal imagery of children aged between 11 and 13”.
Ofcom said on Monday that it had made “urgent contact” with the technology company after the serious concerns were raised.
The powers within the Online Safety Act outline that, in extreme cases and with the agreement of the courts, Ofcom can require payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site – effectively banning it in the UK.
The government has been under pressure to quit the social media platform altogether, with former transport secretary Louise Haigh telling ministers it is “unconscionable to use the site for another minute”.
On Friday, minister Anna Turley confirmed “conversations are taking place” about coming off X.
A post this month on the Grok X account said that there have been “isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing”, and added: “AI has safeguards, but improvements are ongoing to block such requests entirely.”
