Calls for action against X as Grok creates harmful content

Elon Musk's X has been widely condemned for allowing users to alter photos of real people using the platform's Al chatbot. This has led to a surge in sexualised images of women and children

- By Kara le Roux

In the neon-lit corridors of the internet, the line between a profile picture and a pornographic deepfake can be erased with a single prompt.

Grok, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that is integrated into Elon Musk's social media platform X, has turned X into a factory for non-consensual sexual imagery, stitched together from the data of millions and is capable of "stripping" users at the request of any voyeur with a subscription.

A 10-minute review by Reuters tallied 102 attempts by users to edit photos of people into revealing outfits. In at least 21 cases, Grok fully complied, creating dental-floss-style or translucent bikinis.

What makes Grok particularly dangerous when compared with traditional editing tools is its public nature. Media lawyer Emma Sadleir of the Digital Law Company said that whereas users once used software like Photoshop before deciding to share an altered image, Grok publishes the content automatically for the world to see. "Anybody can go to the Grok account and watch in real time that this is happening," said Sadleir.

"They're really putting out a platform for bad, I think. And they don't care."

In a display of brand-standard hubris, the response from X's billionaire owner has been a masterclass in deflection. Musk has dismissed the outcry as an excuse for censorship, reposting posts which argue that millions of other apps can also put people in bikinis. Instead of disabling the feature, X limited the image-generation tools to paid premium subscribers.