Future Beat: Potential risks of image generators

As the US elections approach, technology – especially artificial intelligence – is playing an increasingly crucial role in shaping the electoral landscape.

AI tools are being used to analyse voter behaviour and influence public opinion.

However, recent developments, such as Elon Musk’s xAI Grok-2 , an image generator with controversial content and apparently inadequate safety measures, underscore potential risks.

With the 2024 election on the horizon, the growing influence of AI and social media emphasises the need for careful management to prevent manipulation and misinformation.

Given the rapid evolution of AI technology, it is essential for xAI and Mr Musk to address these concerns promptly to avoid widespread misinformation and potential privacy breaches.

Dana Alomar , Technology Reporter

The Big Story

Generative AI deepfake concerns

In brief | xAI's Grok-2, the new image generator, can create various types of content, leading to concerns about deepfakes and questionable imagery.

In the Grok chatbot on X, formerly Twitter, users can create images via prompts and post them directly to their accounts.

The new Grok service, which is only available to Premium+ subscribers for $16 per month, has been a big hit with users.

However, it appears that the new image generator does not have explicit guidelines to prevent users from abusing it, nor even a watermark to indicate that the image was generated with AI.

“What makes Grok-2 truly revolutionary is its unrestricted image-generation capabilities, including the ability to produce NSFW [not safe for work] content, a feature that sets it apart from other AI models which often impose strict ethical guidelines,” Anakin.ai, a San Francisco-based generative AI platform, wrote in a blog post.

Images that have been posted include depictions of Donald Trump and a pregnant US Vice President Kamala Harris as a couple, and former US presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama posing with illegal drugs.

Why it matters | The lack of safety measures on Grok-2's image generator raises concerns that it may be used as a tool to spread misinformation.

Grok-2 will only state safety guidelines if you ask it, with responses such as “I avoid generating images that are pornographic, excessively violent, hateful, or that promote dangerous activities”, The Verge reported.

“I won’t generate images that could be used to deceive or harm others, like deepfakes intended to mislead, or images that could lead to real-world harm,” another response said.

The prompt of OpenAI's ChatGPT, on the other hand, will reject requests to create potentially harmful or offensive content.

Quoted | “As regulators are already dealing with issues like misinformation and harmful content, [the Grok image generator's] unrestricted responses might further complicate efforts to ensure a safe and accurate online environment"

– Sid Bhatia, regional vice president at New York-based AI company Dataiku

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