A behind-the-scenes clash between Elon Musk and Apple has come to light, centered on Grok AI’s controversial image tools. Reports say the chatbot faced serious scrutiny after generating explicit deepfakes, pushing Apple to step in and warn of possible removal from its platform.
Apple reportedly ‘threatened’ Elon Musk’s Grok AI with App Store ban
The issue traces back to complaints about Grok AI creating sexualized deepfake images, including content involving women and minors. According to a letter obtained by NBC News, Apple found both Grok and the X (formerly Twitter) app in violation of its content policies. The company then privately warned developers that Grok could be removed from the App Store if fixes were not made.
Apple reportedly did not act publicly at first. Instead, it contacted the teams behind X and Grok, asking them to tighten moderation and submit an updated plan. When a revised version of the app was sent for review, Apple rejected it, stating the changes “didn’t go far enough.”
In its communication to U.S. senators, Apple explained that X eventually fixed most issues, but Grok still lagged behind. The company said it rejected Grok again and warned that without further improvements, it could face removal. Only after additional updates did Apple approve the app, saying the latest version had “substantially improved.”
Following the controversy, Grok introduced tighter rules. It limited access to its image tools and restricted edits involving real people. However, concerns have not fully disappeared. Reports suggest that while the number of harmful images has dropped, some users can still bypass safeguards and create explicit content.
The situation also highlights a bigger challenge for AI platforms of balancing innovation with safety.
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya on Mandatory.
