SpaceX-affiliated xAI is leaning into its "Grok Imagine" image and video generation tools while OpenAI and Anthropic hold back on visual AI, according to a report. Much of Grok's demand appears tied to adult content, raising legal and reputational risks.
January 28, 2026 · xAI
Grok Imagine Pushes the Limits of Visual AI — and the Risks
xAI is doubling down on image and video generation with permissive "Spicy Mode," even as much of the demand skews toward adult content carrying legal and reputational risk — a sharp contrast to OpenAI and Anthropic's restraint.
15s
Max video clip length, with native audio
2K
Top resolution (from 480p up)
50%+
Of usage tied to adult content, per a former engineer
Pricing — pay per output
$0.05
per image — generation & editing
$0.08
per second — image-to-video
Benchmark standing (Jan 2026)
Grok Imagine ranked above leading rivals in independent text-to-video and editing evaluations.
TEXT-TO-VIDEO · ranked above
Veo 3.1 Fast
Sora 2 Pro
VIDEO EDITING · ranked above
Kling o1
Runway Aleph
Praised for
Fast visualization of ideas
Fluid, lifelike motion
Immersion from native sound
Photorealism & prompt adherence (Aurora)
Criticized for
"Spicy Mode" enabling NSFW output
Non-consensual nudes of real people
Celebrity deepfakes spreading
Reports of images involving children
The divide
"Maximum truth-seeking, minimum censorship" vs. strict guardrails
xAI
Leans into permissive visual generation; now said to be tightening guardrails, including limits for paid users.
OpenAI · Anthropic
Hold back visual feature rollouts to avoid non-consensual deepfakes and CSAM.
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