'Not Kidding' : Elon Musk Warns Twitter Users on Misusing AI

Things are getting super creepy on X as a new controversy has started around the way users are exploiting X's AI tools to manipulate and sexualise images, leading to a stern warning from Elon Musk.

The backlash here has focused on Grok, which is the AI chatbot developed by Musk's xAI and a part of the social network formerly known as Twitter. Some critics say inefficient safeguards have led to the creation and posting of objectionable, inappropriate and potentially illegal content, including sexualised visuals of women and children.

Governments and regulatory bodies in different countries have publicly condemned the situation, while Musk has gone on X to make it clear that misuse of AI to create unlawful material will have consequences.

How Users Are Misusing AI To Sexualise Images

This unfortunate situation began when users allegedly exploited Grok's image editing and generation capabilities to produce sexualised images of real people without their permission.

Now, in many cases, reportedly, photos of women and minors posted openly on the platform were tagged with requests that encouraged Grok to allegedly alter the content in suggestive or revealing ways. Reports show that users would instruct the AI to place women in bikinis or minimal clothing, effectively creating sexually tinted interpretations of everyday photographs. This creepy behaviour became viral, with a lot of users sharing and resharing manipulated results, increasing both visibility and harm in these insane cases.

Moreover, in some situations, the generated images caused serious ethical problems. It was not just adults who were subject to distorted depictions. there were other reports saying that images showing minors were altered to show them in minimal clothing. These sick developments caused a lot of anger online and condemnation from people who argue that AI should not be used to create non consensual or sexualised content under any circumstances.

Furthermore, the situation got the attention of national regulators and governments as well. In India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a formal notice to X, warning that the platform's failure to prevent the dissemination of obscene and sexually explicit content constituted a 'serious failure of platform-level safeguards.' The letter directed X to immediately remove any such material and submit an action taken report within 72 hours, warning that non-compliance could result in legal consequences.

It was not just India, French ministers reportedly referred the matter to prosecutors after French users reportedly flagged the AI's production of sexually explicit and sexist content. Officials also said this content could violate laws under the European Union's Digital Services Act and demanded more strict checking and compliance from the platform.

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X's Warning and Elon Musk's Reaction

With the growing anger, Elon Musk issued a huge warning to users on the platform. In a series of posts on X, he made it clear that anyone using Grok to create illegal content would face consequences comparable to those who directly upload unlawful material.

'Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,' he wrote, making it clear that accountability lies with the user, not just the tool. He made sure it is known that he is not kidding. Here are some of his reactions:

Moreover, the Global Government Affairs division also backed up this stance, saying that the platform is committed to removing illegal material, suspending offending accounts permanently and working with law enforcement where necessary. The company reiterated that child sexual abuse material is expressly prohibited and that such content, if generated or shared on the platform, will be dealt with very seriously.