X has added a brand new choice that seems to let customers block Grok from enhancing pictures they share on the platform. The management, launched within the X app, is labeled “block modifications by Grok” and is supposed to provide individuals extra management over undesirable edits of their photos.

The characteristic was first reported by Social Media Today and has been verified by Digital Traits. On the floor, it seems to be like a privacy-friendly transfer to forestall undesirable AI edits. Nevertheless, testing by the The Verge reveals that the safety is extra restricted than the title suggests.

Why the Grok modification block characteristic falls brief

The setting will be discovered within the picture enhancing instruments whereas importing a photograph. You possibly can faucet the paintbrush icon and open extra choices the place the toggle seems as proven within the picture.

As soon as enabled, the characteristic is meant to cease Grok from modifying the picture. However it solely blocks one particular means Grok can work together with a picture.

When it’s turned on, different customers can not tag @Grok in replies to the photograph and ask the AI to edit it. Nevertheless, the safety stops there.

The small textual content within the setting signifies that the toggle solely prevents Grok from modifying the content material by way of direct tagging. It doesn’t cease the chatbot from enhancing the picture if somebody makes use of one other methodology.

For instance, anybody can nonetheless obtain or screenshot a photograph and add it once more. As soon as the picture exists as a brand new publish or file, Grok will be requested to change it with out restrictions.

Whereas the toggle shuts down one technique to edit your photograph, loads of different doorways are nonetheless broad open for AI manipulation. So the safety will not be as stable because it sounds.

Not too long ago, X put Grok’s image editing tools behind a paywall after backlash over non-consensual sexualized images.

Now it has launched this edit-block toggle, however easy switches like this do little to cease AI edits as soon as photos are shared on-line.