The "free speech absolutist" has drawn a line. Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has announced it is blocking its Grok AI tool from generating nude or revealing images of real people. The move follows a global backlash over a flood of non-consensual deepfakes targeting women and minors.

The decision marks a rare reversal for Musk, who had initially dismissed concerns. Just hours before the announcement, the billionaire posted that he was "not aware of any naked underage images" generated by the bot. However, investigations by regulators in California and the UK painted a different picture, citing thousands of explicit AI-generated images flooding the platform.

"Breeding Ground for Predators"

California Governor Gavin Newsom didn't mince words, calling Grok’s capabilities "vile" and accusing X of hosting a "breeding ground for predators." The pressure intensified when the state’s Attorney General launched a formal probe into whether xAI violated child protection laws.

X’s new policy states it will "geoblock" the feature in jurisdictions where such content is illegal and apply strict filters for all users. "We have zero tolerance for non-consensual nudity," the company statement read.

• The Tech Reality: Experts argue that while filters help, the "genie is out of the bottle." Open-source AI models can still be run on private computers to generate similar content. X’s move is seen as a damage limitation exercise to avoid crippling fines from the EU and US regulators.
• Kenyan Context: The debate resonates in Kenya, where the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act is struggling to keep pace with AI-generated harassment. With Grok available locally, the safeguards are a welcome, if overdue, protection for Kenyan users.