As X/Twitter owner Elon Musk moves Grok’s widely condemned AI image manipulation feature to paid-only and users flood the “town square” with thousands of sexualised images, Epic Games boss said that senators calling for the removal of X from the Apple and Google stores are trying to “censor all of their political opponents”.

Kicking off a series of tweets posted overnight, Sweeney wrote: “Reason #42 for open platforms: to shut down every politician’s incessant demands to all gatekeepers to censor all of their political opponents,” linking to a story about US senators calling for X’s removal from app stores.

He added: “All major AIs have documented instances of going off the rails; all major AI companies make their best efforts to combat this; none are perfect. Politicians demanding gatekeepers selectively crush the one that’s their political opponent’s company is basic crony capitalism.”

Asked if he realised “what [he was] defending” – which is essentially Grok being used to generate non-consensual pornographic or sexually explicit images of women and girls and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) – Sweeney said: “I defend open platforms, free speech, and consistent application of the rule of law. The bad stuff people do with AI, I do not defend, but I staunchly oppose the wrongdoing of a few from being used as a pretense to undermine the freedoms of all”.

When challenged and given examples of Grok generating “CSAM content and doxxing people’s IP address”, he replied: “1) That is bad. 2) Every significant AI has instances of this. 3) Every significant AI company makes their best efforts to stop it. 4) All are imperfect.

“Thus the combined danger of selective enforcement against political opponents, and distribution monopolies.”

The UK is reportedly also considering banning X for UK users as Ofcom undertakes an “expedited assessment”.