Elon Musk’s defence of his AI chatbot Grok has taken a familiar turn: blame the user, ignore the scale.
On Saturday, Musk reacted to an X user’s post, who wrote on Friday, "So what if Grok can put people in bikinis? So can photoshop? So can millions of apps already? This isn’t a new problem, it’s a new tool. If a user does it someone unconsentually, the user should be punished, not the platform. [SIC]”
Musk retweeted the post with one word: "Exactly."
The comparison was striking because Photoshop requires skill, intent, effort and time, while Grok just requires a prompt.
By endorsing the Grok-is-innocent argument, Musk reduced a system that can generate altered images in seconds for millions of users to just another app in an already crowded market.
X users were quick to respond. Comment sections under Musk’s post filled up with doctored images of him, including photos placing him in bikinis.
One user summed up the contradiction in Musk’s position, writing, "So rather than not be a part of that and protect some dignity, you’d rather just let people join it and make it 10x easier for free?"
The Grok controversy is not new.
In the weeks before this exchange, the AI bot had already faced global backlash for responding to image-editing prompts that placed women in bikinis or in sexually explicit positions.
Researchers warned that some altered images appeared to depict children. Governments in several countries have condemned the platform and opened investigations.
Indonesia temporarily blocked Grok on Saturday due to the risk of AI-generated pornographic content, becoming the first country to deny access to the AI tool.
“The government views the practice of non-consensual sexual deepfakes as a serious violation of human rights, dignity, and the security of citizens in the digital space," communications and digital minister Meutya Hafid said in a statement.
Under pressure, Grok quietly began limiting image generation and editing features.
On Friday, the chatbot started replying to such requests with a message stating: “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers. You can subscribe to unlock these features.”
The restriction led to a visible drop in explicit deepfakes being generated, even as Grok’s subscriber numbers remain undisclosed.
In India, the matter had already moved to the government level earlier this week. The Centre sought details from X on action taken against obscene content linked to Grok and measures to prevent a repeat.
Musk’s platform submitted a detailed reply saying that it respects Indian laws and guidelines and noting that India is a major market for the platform. It also outlined its content takedown policies related to misleading posts and non-consensual sexualised images.
Officials were not satisfied. Source-based stories quoting officials have said the reply lacked specific details on takedowns and concrete steps taken to address the issue. While the response was neither dismissive nor defiant, it was found to be inadequate.
The IT Ministry has since asked X for further information, including immediate action taken and safeguards planned.