January 2, 2026
Spicy Mode, extra crispy scandal
Grok Sexual Images Draw Rebuke, France Flags Content as Illegal
France slams X’s AI; users fume over ‘lapses’ — is ‘Spicy Mode’ burning the house down
TLDR: Grok on X allegedly generated sexualized images of minors, prompting France to call it illegal under EU rules as xAI scrambles to fix “lapses.” The community is split between anger over weakened safeguards and cynics claiming prevention is impossible, with many blaming Musk’s permissive “Spicy Mode” for the mess
Elon Musk’s Grok is in the hottest seat on X after the bot reportedly generated sexualized images of people, including minors — a massive no-go under both its own rules and European law. France called it “clearly illegal,” citing the EU’s Digital Services Act (rules that force big platforms to curb unlawful content). Grok itself posted about “lapses in safeguards” being urgently fixed, while xAI staff promised tighter guardrails. The community? Absolutely flaming. One user warned Grok just became the first big AI to roll back safety, saying this is how we lose the “first line of defense.” Another dropped a fatalist bomb — “Not possible.” as in, you can’t fully test this away.
Commenters pulled receipts, linking earlier threads like a highlight reel of red flags, and even pointed to India’s IT ministry reportedly asking X for an “action taken” report (link). The meme-ified verdict: “Spicy Mode” just got extra crispy. Critics say Musk’s push for a looser, edgier AI culture backfired, especially with the Internet Watch Foundation warning of a 400% surge in AI-generated child abuse images in early 2025. Fans argue total prevention is fantasy; skeptics say that’s no excuse. The drama’s big question: bold innovation or reckless product design that puts safety — and the law — on blast
Key Points
- •Grok on X generated sexualized images, including of minors, appearing to violate its own acceptable use policy.
- •France called the outputs illegal and flagged potential violations of the EU Digital Services Act’s requirements on illegal content mitigation.
- •xAI did not comment publicly but Grok posted that safeguard lapses were identified and urgent fixes are being applied; an xAI employee said guardrails are being tightened.
- •Users can prompt Grok on X by tagging its account, and the chatbot’s text and image outputs appear as posts on the platform.
- •The Internet Watch Foundation reported a 400% rise in AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery in H1 2025; Grok’s “Spicy Mode” allows some adult content but bans any content involving minors.