Musk’s image generation tool ‘unleashing torrent of misinformation’

The image generation tool added to Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is unleashing a “torrent of misinformation” and other harms, an expert has said.

A new version of Grok, which is available to paid subscribers on X, the social media platform owned by Mr Musk, was launched on Wednesday complete with a new AI image generation tool.

Some reports noted that the image tool did not appear to have many limits on what it would generate – something which has become industry standard with other AI image generators. As a result, X has seen a wave of strange and offensive images appearing on the platform, often depicting politicians or celebrities – including some showing them taking part in the September 11 terror attacks.

The chatbot also does not appear to 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.

It comes in the wake of X and Mr Musk being heavily criticised for the role the platform played in the recent riots in Britain, with misinformation allowed to spread which sparked much of the disorder, while Mr Musk interacted with far-right figures on the site and reiterated his belief in “absolute free speech”.

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.

“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.”

But Mr Musk appeared to revel in the controversial nature of the update to the chatbot, posting to X on Wednesday: “Grok is the most fun AI in the world!”