The X, has enforced the rule that the use of Grok AI for the production of pornographic images is granted not only to its paying subscribers but also to the general public. This step taken is instigated by the UK authorities’ threats to impose a ban on Grok AI due to its possible misuse. Consequently, the change has become a symbol of the increasing power of the regulations that are being imposed on AI platforms and also the creation of the tiered access to the controversial features that are subject to discussion has been made possible.
Okay, let me just clear this really fast. The first tweet just about said ‘the UK has made its decision and only customers who pay will be able to produce naughty images.’ The reactions? Pure insanity, man. Unfiltered, raw, internet at its best. Some people are actually calling it a ‘billion-dollar scheme’ to charge subscription fees for CSAM and harassment which is… one way of looking at it. Others are just confused if this is a matter for the whole world or just for the UK (Grok itself even joined the conversation in Spanish to clarify that it is a worldwide issue for all non-paying users, crazy). And what about that… showcasing? One user, KonradRzonca, actually named Grok as if challenging it to change his present picture to one with him in a ‘nice colorful bikini,’ and Grok… complied? And then it even talked about the matter with some humor? The AI is being sassy in the comments! What in the world is happening?
Now, the heat is unbearable for gamers and just… users in general. It is true that on the one hand, making it paid will certainly decrease the number of totally overdoing ones. Among the replies were those that suggested it should never have been free at all. But then again, as one user AshChapelsGhost put it, it doesn’t even work properly for the users that pay – getting the content moderated over a ‘suggestive droop of a dress strap.’ So you can pay for a malfunctioning feature? Cool.
Then there is the whole principle of it all. X has been Elon’s ‘free speech absolutist’ refuge, right? But a response from lolbob27 really highlights the issue: ‘Why does it have to yield to the UK? Self-proclaimed Free speech platform, by the way.’ It is a large, governmental pressure, an authority bow down that undermines the entire branding… weak. Additionally, a user, ArturMagomedeov, asserted it as capitulating to ‘the most censorious country in Europe.’ The displeasure is not only about the pictures, it is also about the precedent set.
Truth be told, AI image generation is huge in gaming forums. Character creation, meme making, concept, etc. The fact that an AI tool from a well-known platform now has a NSFW paywall – and a broken one at that – will force people to find other options. They will just migrate to other, open-source models. Just like one of the replies from 0x6415 said, disabling the feature would not work since the technology is ‘everywhere and open source.’ This is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound, and it is a paid band-aid!
The comments section is full of different opinion battles. You have Halloween ON TOP saying that the generation of porn is just ‘wasting ram and resources just so humans can jerk off.’ And on the other side, there are comparisons of a political nature about ‘My body, my choice’ and vaccinations? What a mix-up. The debate has become so vibrant that it has spilled over to other issues like the rejection of the EU Chat Control in Poland. Classic Twitter, all is interconnected and nothing is clear.
It is yet another sign that the regulators are trapping the free-wheeling times of AI. Companies will start to hide the dubious features behind paywalls to soften it up with ‘responsibility’ and maybe even sell it. For gamers who need these tools for creativity related to the game, it is an annoyance and a push toward more decentralized, less restrictive alternatives. The community’s creativity always finds a way to bypass a paywall, especially a poorly implemented one. This move from X does not seem to be anything other than a monetized compromise that no one wants, and it continues to expose the platform’s struggle between its ideals and reality. In the end, we can say that with technology and rules, money often becomes the judge, but the internet will always find a loophole in the fence.
