The UK government says Elon Musk's platform X limiting Grok AI image edits to paid users is insulting to victims of misogyny and sexual violence.
Speaking on Friday, Downing Street said the move simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service.
It follows significant backlash after Grok digitally altered images of others by undressing them - something it says it now can only do for those who pay a monthly fee.
However, it has no such restrictions when accessed through its edit image functionality, separate app or website.
The BBC has approached X for comment.
The prime minister's official spokesperson told reporters on Friday it showed X can move swiftly when it wants to do so.
They said it was abundantly clear that X needs to act and needs to act now.
It is time for X to grip this issue, if another media company had billboards in town centres showing unlawful images, it would act immediately to take them down or face public backlash, they added.
The Liberal Democrats have called for access to X to be temporarily restricted in the UK while the social media site is investigated.
Musk has thrown his toys out of the pram in protest at being held to account for the tsunami of abuse, said Professor Clare McGlynn, an expert in the legal regulation of pornography, sexual violence and online abuse.
Instead of taking the responsible steps to ensure Grok could not be used for abusive purposes, it has withdrawn access for the vast majority of users.
Hannah Swirsky, head of policy at the Internet Watch Foundation, said it does not undo the harm which has been done.
She stated, We do not believe it is good enough to simply limit access to a tool which should never have had the capacity to create the kind of imagery we have seen in recent days.
Grok is a tool allowing users to tag directly in posts or replies under other users' posts to ask it for a specific response. However, it has also allowed people to request digital edits of images, including requests that left individuals feeling dehumanized.
Dr. Daisy Dixon, a lecturer at Cardiff University, acknowledged the change but noted it felt insufficient, calling for a redesign with ethical guardrails to prevent misuse.
The government's call for action comes as fears mount over the potential for AI tools like Grok to be exploited for abuse. With pressure mounting, regulators and lawmakers are increasingly advocating for stricter actions against X to prevent such misuse in the future.
