Key Points
- X’s new image generator, Aurora, briefly appeared in Grok’s model selection before removal.
- Elon Musk confirmed Aurora as an internal tool in beta testing, promising rapid enhancements.
- Users praised Aurora’s photorealism, sharing images like Tesla’s Cybertruck on X.
- Aurora’s brief debut highlights ongoing challenges with content moderation in AI tools.
Aurora, a new image generation tool integrated with X’s Grok AI platform, briefly appeared for select users on Saturday before being removed by Sunday afternoon. Initially available as “Grok 2 + Aurora (beta)” in the model selection menu, it was replaced by “Grok 2 + Flux (beta),” suggesting that Aurora may have gone public prematurely.
Elon Musk, CEO of X, confirmed in a tweet that Aurora is the platform’s internal image generation system. It is currently in beta testing and promised rapid improvements.
During its short-lived availability, Aurora impressed many users with its photorealistic results, leading to widespread sharing of generated images on X. Some notable creations included pictures of Tesla’s Cybertruck, which Musk personally acknowledged. However, the tool also drew criticism for its handling of controversial content.
Reports from TechCrunch revealed that Aurora allowed users to generate potentially offensive images, including a request for a “bloodied [Donald] Trump.” Additionally, numerous shared examples featured public figures like Sam Altman and Elon Musk and copyrighted characters like Luigi and Mickey Mouse. Despite these concerns, the system reportedly refused to generate explicit nudity.
Aurora’s release coincided with X’s decision to make Grok 2 free to use with certain restrictions for non-paying users. The platform has previously faced scrutiny for its image-generation capabilities, with earlier iterations criticized for a lack of safeguards against offensive or inappropriate outputs.
