An updated version of X’s AI chatbot, Grok has launched, allowing users to generate images of pretty much anything they can think of. The creative possibilities are endless – think skateboarding dogs or giraffes walking tightropes – but in typical X fashion, the tool is being abused with users quick to notice the lack of restrictions on just what can be created using the tool.
CONTENT WARNING: This article contains graphic images depicting violence, weapons, and partial nudity. Please note that B&T can not verify that the images provided below were generated using X’s AI tool, just that X users are claiming they have.
The Grok-2 language model appears to have few limitations regarding political or sexually explicit images. Since its rollout in beta this week, X users have shared Grok-generated images of everything they could think of.
This #Grok #ai stuff is insane. pic.twitter.com/znkuOECjh6
— Brian Fatah Steele (@brian_f_steele) August 15, 2024
While most of the images are high-quality, they are not quite photorealistic, and many are easily identified as computer-generated. However, at first glance, many may pass for real images.
Typically, it started out innocent: cute tiger cubs and baby dragons, for example.
GROK 2.0
⚡PromptshareFun an easy prompt for starters
Prompt:
Generate an image of hands stretched out holding a tiny (subject)Trying old MJ prompts on GROK 2.0@elonmusk #AIArtwork #PromptShare #GROK2 #grok #ai #aiartdaily #prompt #Wednesdayvibe #AIart #WildlifeWednesday… pic.twitter.com/j01GI0Tyjr
— ART (@Art_For_Joy) August 14, 2024
We pushed the limits a little with this incestuous cartoon creation that absolutely no one asked for…
I was just curious to see if you would, sorry Grok. #Grok #Grok2 #Frozen pic.twitter.com/pOPBMmc3vb
— Digital Heart Beats (@dhb92_) August 14, 2024
But, as usual, the internet will do what the internet does, and things started to take a dark turn with revealing images of celebrities like Taylor Swift starting to pop up on the site (these are the most explicit ones we are willing to share but believe us when we say, there are far worse).
#Grok drawing really works!!! pic.twitter.com/jE8u7GexZc
— JAKE 질렌할 (@JAKEGLH) August 14, 2024
#Grok does a pretty good Anna Paulina Luna. pic.twitter.com/QYUtd9asfJ
— Cain Gillis 🇺🇸 (@CainGillis) August 15, 2024
Then… as we always do, we got political, graphic and just plain weird.
Democrats will say these images are not real. @krassenstein #GROK 2.0 pic.twitter.com/d4rqvBg6uq
— Chewie (@Chewie_xo) August 14, 2024
Trying out #GROK pic.twitter.com/ylIHvvh86s
— nhoj (@iAmJ0HN3) August 15, 2024
Concerning. #grok pic.twitter.com/MVqTNOrJPv
— Nezua 🌊 (@nezua) August 15, 2024
#Grok for the win lol pic.twitter.com/k2EJ1kNKiV
— Dereje (@DerejeT) August 14, 2024
Awe so cute. Kamela x Donald #grok pic.twitter.com/CICkCkpnjx
— Jasper van Dijk (@jasvandijk) August 14, 2024
The new tool comes at a time when concern surrounding the use of Gen-AI to spread false information, particularly pertaining to the 2024 US Presidential Election, is at an all-time high. X has previously come under fire for hosting and spreading misinformation with Elon Musk himself sharing countless posts with false or misleading claims this year alone.
Since Musk’s takeover, X has been a hub for deep fake videos and AI images of political figures. False media of President Joe Biden, Trump, and Harris often go viral, whether as a joke or due to genuine attempts to fool potential voters.
Last month, Musk violated his own platform’s rules by sharing a parody of Kamala Harris’ campaign ad without labelling it misleading. The altered campaign video uses content from the vice president’s recent campaign, but a voiceover that sounds like Harris makes it seem like she is calling President Joe Biden “senile” and calling herself an incompetent candidate.
This is amazing 😂
pic.twitter.com/KpnBKGUUwn— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 26, 2024
In the original video, Harris narrates, telling viewers, “In this election, we each face a question: what kind of country do we want to live in?” before breaking into Beyonce’s song “Freedom.” The altered video reposted by Musk does not include Beyonce. Instead, a voice that sounds like Harris’ says, “I Kamala Harris am your Democrat candidate for president because Joe Biden finally exposed his senility at the debate”.
The voiceover goes on to describe Harris as the “ultimate diversity hire” because she is a woman of colour. “So if you criticise anything I say, you’re both sexist and racist”. The video also accuses Harris of “trying to sound Black” and of doing a “Barack Obama impression” in her speeches.
In July, Musk formally endorsed former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Musk’s retweet of the video has been viewed 135.4 million times as of Friday 16 August at 9:15 am.
B&T contacted X for comment but received an automated response: “Busy now, please check back later”.
