Musk's Grok now lets you generate sexually explicit content
What's the story
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) company, xAI, has launched a new feature called Grok Imagine. The tool is available for all SuperGrok and Premium+ X subscribers on their iOS app. It can create images and videos from text/image prompts in just seconds. Notably, Grok Imagine comes with a "spicy mode" that lets users generate explicit content, including partial nudity.
Functionality
A look at the tool
Grok Imagine can create a 15-second video with native audio from text or image prompts. However, there are some restrictions on how explicit the content can be. Some of the more explicit prompts result in blurred-out images that are "moderated" and therefore inaccessible. Despite these limitations, semi-nude imagery can still be generated using this tool.
Timeline
The feature's existence was leaked earlier
The existence of a "spicy mode" in Grok Imagine was first reported by CNBC. The revelation came after xAI employee Mati Roy revealed it in a now-deleted post on X. The post read, "Grok Imagine videos have a spicy mode that can do nudity." This has raised concerns over the potential misuse of this feature and its implications for content moderation.
Celebrity content
Generating celebrity content
Grok Imagine also lets users create content featuring celebrities, from Donald Trump to Taylor Swift. However, there seem to be additional restrictions on this feature. For instance, when TechCrunch attempted to create an image of a pregnant Trump using Grok Imagine, the tool only produced pictures of Trump holding a baby or next to a pregnant woman.
Performance
Competing with industry giants
Grok Imagine hopes to take on established players like Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Runway, and other Chinese competitors. However, the images and videos it generates of humans often look a bit unnatural with waxy skin that can appear cartoonish at times. Still, the tool is impressive as it generates pictures in seconds from a text prompt and continues to auto-generate new ones as you scroll.