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The United Kingdom government has issued a strong condemnation of Elon Musk’s X platform for restricting its Grok AI image generation tool to paying subscribers only, calling the decision “insulting” and arguing it creates a dangerous two-tier system where the ability to create potentially unlawful images becomes a premium service.
The controversy centers on X’s recent policy change requiring users to purchase X Premium subscriptions to access Grok’s image generation capabilities. Previously, the AI tool was available to all users with certain limitations, but the new paywall completely restricts access to those paying monthly subscription fees ranging from $8 to $16 depending on subscription tier.
UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle delivered scathing criticism of the policy change during a parliamentary session. “It is deeply insulting that a platform would monetize the ability to generate images that could potentially spread misinformation, create deepfakes, or produce illegal content,” Kyle stated. “This effectively makes harm a premium feature.”
The government’s concerns focus on several aspects of Grok’s image generation capabilities. The AI tool has faced criticism for having fewer content restrictions than competing services, allowing creation of images depicting public figures, copyrighted characters, and other content that most AI image generators block. While X has implemented some safeguards, critics argue they remain inadequate.
By placing this technology behind a paywall, UK officials argue that X has created perverse incentives where bad actors willing to pay gain access to tools for creating harmful content, while regular users who might use the technology responsibly face restrictions. “This inverts the proper approach to AI safety,” noted Dr. Sarah Williams of the UK’s Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation.
