If you've ever wondered how Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini would perform without any of the guardrails in place ...we now have a pretty decent idea. Elon Musk has unleashed the second generation of his AI chatbot Grok to paid subscribers on X, which includes an image generation tool.
And based on the examples shared widely across the social network, formerly known as Twitter, Grok doesn't have the same reservations about producing images with copyright-protected characters, like Mickey Mouse, Super Mario, or Shrek. Real-life figures, like Taylor Swift, Donald J. Trump, and Elon Musk, are also fair game.
The team behind Grok 2 doesn't appear to have included many of the safeguards used by competitive AI products like Google Gemini and ChatGPT — enabling paid X users to generate images with celebrities, like Taylor Swift
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
Multiple examples with the US Presidential candidates are being shared across X, showing the ability for Grok 2 to generate a photo-realistic likeness
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
Only those with a paid subscription on X, starting from £11 a month, can access the Grok chatbot
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
Donald Trump appears in numerous examples of Grok 2-generated imagery, some positive and some negative. It's unclear what the Republican Presidential candidate thinks about this unrestricted creativity
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
Early examples shared across X include photo-realistic images of US Presidential hopefuls Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris watching the September 11 terror attacks from a cockpit, superstar musician Taylor Swift in the bikini worn by Princess Leia in Return of the Jedi riding a dog, and Nintendo's Princess Peach holding a beer beside Darth Vader.
These are just a handful of examples from the torrent of images hitting on the social platform, often depicting politicians, much-loved fictional characters, or celebrities.
The copyright issues with grok are just wild pic.twitter.com/eggEV5crg6
— Alex Masmej (@AlexMasmej) August 15, 2024
GROK image generator is wild. Have fun before they restrict its capability. pic.twitter.com/LfGDVAHVka
— Cody (@OddStockTrader) August 14, 2024
How do you think Nintendo feels about Grok's image generation? pic.twitter.com/2WaHYkjZCg
— Snazzy Labs (@SnazzyLabs) August 15, 2024
It appears engineers working on Grok have not imposed limits on what it can generate – something which has become industry standard with other AI image generators.
The chatbot will not refuse to generate images of copyrighted characters, with many images of cartoon and comic book characters taking part in nefarious or illegal activities also being posted. GB News was able to replicate examples with Mickey Mouse.
Many of these characters are closely guarded by the multi-national companies behind them, with The Walt Disney Company and Nintendo known to be especially litigious to protect their intellectual property.
Elon Musk-developed Grok 2 can generate images using copyright-protected fictional characters, including Mickey Mouse and Super Mario
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
Both Mickey Mouse and Super Mario are fiercely protected by the multi-national corporations that rely on them as their mascots, raising questions about whether Grok 2 — or its users — are breaking copyright law
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
In the late 90s, The Walt Disney Company successfully lobbied the US government to extend the copyright term to 95 years to prevent its earliest Mickey Mouse cartoons from entering into the public domain, leading detractors to coin the nickname, The Mickey Mouse Protection Act.
It's unclear how these corporations will react to Grok and its ability to force their world-renown figureheads into any activity the user can dream of.
Daniel Card, fellow of BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, said the issue of misinformation and disinformation on X was a “societal crisis” because of its potential impact.
Based on the early examples of the Grok 2 image generation tool, politicians seem to be one of the most popular muses. The US will hold its next general election on November 5, 2024
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
Pop culture characters, like Elmo from Sesame Street, can also be manipulated into a variety of different scenarios by the Grok AI 'bot
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
Many of the examples created by Grok 2 wouldn't be possible on its closest competitors, including Dall-E 3 from the OpenAI team behind ChatGPT and Google Gemini
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
While some users on X have shared the written prompt used to push Grok to generate the finished image others, like the example above, have decided to leave it a mystery...
GROK AI IMAGE GENERATOR | X
“Grok may have some guardrails but it’s unleashing a torrent of misinformation, copyright chaos and explicit deepfakes,” he said. “This isn’t just a defence issue – it’s a societal crisis. Information warfare has become a greater threat than cyber attacks, infiltrating our daily lives and warping global perceptions.
“These challenges demand bold, modern solutions.
"By the time regulators step in, disinformation has already reached millions, spreading at a pace we’re simply not prepared for. In the US, distorted views of countries like the UK are spreading, fuelled by exaggerated reports of danger. We’re at a critical juncture in navigating truth in the AI era.
"Our current strategies are falling short. As we move into a digital-physical hybrid world, this threat could become society’s greatest challenge. We must act now — authorities, governments and tech leaders need to step up.”
Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter for $44 billion two years ago, seems to be revelling in the controversial nature of the bolstered Grok chatbot, posting to X: “Grok is the most fun AI in the world!”
Paid plans for X start from £11 per month in the UK, rising to £22 per month for Premium+ subscription. Elon Musk offers anyone with 2,500 verified subscriber followers access to X Premium features for free, while social accounts with over 5,000 will unlock a subscription to Premium+ for free.
The billionaire has previously been an outspoken critic of Artificial Intelligence, warning that it even lead to "civilisation destruction". Earlier this year, the Tesla owner arrived in the UK for a Safety Summit on AI and told Sky News that he believed the developing technology is "a risk".
At the end of the Summit, the United States of America, China, and the UK were among the 28 nations to agree to the UK's Bletchley Declaration, which stresses the need for countries to work together to harness the potential of AI and ensure people are kept safe from its biggest risks.
Grok is the most fun AI in the world! https://t.co/5ZS2iDkwim
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 14, 2024
Earlier this month, X agreed that it would no longer train its AI systems — including the Grok chatbot — using the personal data collected from users in the European Union before they were allowed to withdraw their consent. The pledge was made to Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which serves as the lead EU regulator for most of the top US internet firms due to the location of their EU operations inside the country.
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Users of X had expressed outrage after discovering the company had enabled a system where their posts could be trawled by the chatbot to improved its underlying Large Language Model, known as an LLM.
Grok, which is available to X Premium customers, is billed as a humorous enhanced search feature powered by a “state-of-the-art large language model” that was initially trained on publicly available sources.
The company now wants to use user interactions and posts to improve the service. X users are opted-in to the new system by default but can choose to opt-out within the settings on the web-based app.
The decision by X to suspend processing follows a High Court application brought by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), where a judge indicated that the rights and freedoms of data subjects across the EU/EEA were at the core of the matter.
Not all of the images generated by Grok concern taboo or controversial topics
The DPC said the application was made to protect the rights and freedoms of X’s EU and EEA users and came after “extensive” engagement between the DPC and X.
Commissioner Dr Des Hogan said he and Commissioner Dale Sunderland welcomed the decision by X to suspend processing while they examine its compliance with GDPR.
“One of our main roles as an independent regulator and rights-based organisation is to ensure the best outcome for data subjects and today’s developments will help us to continue protecting the rights and freedoms of X users across the EU and EEA,” Dr Hogan said.
“We will continue to engage with all data controllers to ensure the rights of our citizens under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the GDPR are upheld.”
