Grok AI controversy has taken center stage after Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, was curbed due to generating shocking images of politicians and celebrities. As of Friday, it was no longer possible to use Grok to create images via text commands that depict people consuming drugs or handling weapons. This sudden change reflects growing concerns about AI’s impact on media and public opinion.

Until this restriction, it seemed that there were hardly any content limitations on Grok. This lack of restrictions sparked the current Grok AI controversy.

Content Restrictions and Technology Behind Grok

Other image generation tools, such as DALL-E from OpenAI or Google’s Imagen, have safeguards designed to prevent such scenarios. In contrast, Musk is known for his aversion to restrictions, which he refers to as censorship. He stated on Thursday that people should be able to “have a bit of fun” with software. However, xAI was not available for further comment.

The technology used for image generation in Grok does not come from xAI itself but from the German startup Black Forest Labs. Musk’s company utilizes its AI model FLUX.1. Musk mentioned that proprietary image generation software is in development and will take a few more months to complete. For more insights into how AI technology is evolving, check out this article on AI developments.

Concerns Over AI-Generated Content

Images created by Grok are sometimes photorealistic, but they are often exaggerated, resembling caricatures. With the U.S. presidential election approaching in November, there is significant concern about AI-generated deepfakes that could influence public opinion. Many programs, therefore, avoid generating images of real people. This caution also extends to copyright-protected characters, like Disney’s Mickey Mouse, whose appearance in AI-generated images could trigger legal action.

This issue might also increase skepticism among major advertisers on the platform. Many advertisers are already concerned about their brand reputation and have pulled ads from X. Due to this, Musk recently sued several companies and an industry organization, accusing them of a coordinated effort to keep advertising money away from his platform. For more on the legal battles surrounding AI and advertising, visit this detailed report on AI and legal issues.