X to block Grok AI from undressing images of real people

The Grok AI instrumentality connected Elon Musk's X volition nary longer beryllium capable to undress pictures of existent people, the institution has announced.

"We person implemented technological measures to forestall the Grok relationship from allowing the editing of images of existent radical successful revealing covering specified arsenic bikinis," said a statement.

"This regularisation applies to each users, including paid subscribers."

It comes amid mounting condemnation successful the UK and US of the chatbot's representation editing capabilities, with British authorities ministers threatening the level with action.

Sir Keir Starmer has described nonconsensual enactment images produced by Grok arsenic "disgusting" and "shameful", and media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation.

The connection from X came hours aft California announced its ain state-level probe into the dispersed of sexualised images created by Grok, including of children.

Speaking astatine PMQs connected Wednesday, Sir Keir had suggested enactment by the institution whitethorn beryllium imminent, telling MPs: "I person been informed this greeting that X is acting to guarantee afloat compliance with UK law.

"If so, that is welcome, but we're not going to backmost down, and they indispensable act."

The contention had seen X, which was bought by Mr Musk successful 2022 erstwhile it was called Twitter, threatened with a imaginable good oregon adjacent prohibition successful the UK.

Mr Musk, the billionaire proprietor of SpaceX and Tesla who has antecedently called for Sir Keir to beryllium voted retired of office, has claimed - on with Reform person Nigel Farage - that a prohibition would beryllium an onslaught connected escaped speech.

Musk defends Grok information measures

After the premier minister's comments astatine PMQs, Mr Musk wrote connected X helium was "not alert of immoderate bare underage images generated by Grok".

"Obviously, Grok does not spontaneously make images, it does truthful lone according to idiosyncratic requests," helium said.

"When asked to make images, it volition garbage to nutrient thing illegal, arsenic the operating rule for Grok is to obey the laws of immoderate fixed state oregon state.

"There whitethorn beryllium times erstwhile adversarial hacking of Grok prompts does thing unexpected. If that happens, we hole the bug immediately."

X had already announced successful an earlier effect to the governmental unit that representation instauration and editing would beryllium restricted to paid subscribers.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall dismissed the determination arsenic simply "monetising abuse" and said the authorities would enactment Ofcom successful immoderate enactment it decides to take.

Ofcom's powers autumn nether the Online Safety Act, which states that online platforms person to marque definite they're not hosting amerciable content.

If X is recovered to not comply with the Online Safety Act, Ofcom tin contented a good of up to 10% of its worldwide gross oregon £18m, and if that is not enough, tin spell arsenic acold arsenic getting a tribunal support to artifact the site.