11 hours ago
16
The launch of an AI image editing feature on xAI’s Grok has caused chaos on X after it was used to generate a flood of non-consensual sexualized deepfakes. As Hayden Field wrote, “screenshots show Grok complying with requests to put real women in lingerie and make them spread their legs, and to put small children in bikinis.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the deepfakes “disgusting,” saying, “X need[s] to get their act together and get this material down. And we will take action on this because it’s simply not tolerable.” X has slightly restricted the feature by requiring a paid subscription to generate images by tagging Grok on X, but the AI image editor remains freely available otherwise.
No, Grok hasn’t paywalled its deepfake image feature
Image: The Verge
Elon Musk’s X has partially restricted access to Grok’s image editing capabilities amid growing backlash to the flood of nonconsensual, sexualized deepfakes of adults and minors generated by the platform. As of this writing, it no longer generates images as @grok replies for free, but Grok’s image editing tools remain readily available for any X user to churn out images, both sexualized and tame.
X users were previously able to ask Grok — by tagging @grok in a tweet — to edit or create images on the platform. Users now attempting this are met with an automated response from the chatbot’s account, telling them that “Image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers.” The reply includes a link encouraging them to subscribe to X’s paid programs “to unlock these features.”
UK Prime Minister says ‘we will take action’ on Grok’s disgusting deepfakes
Image: The Verge
Europe demands X retain documents amid Grok’s undressing spree.
The European Commission extended an order requiring X to keep documents related to Grok through the end of the year so that it can evaluate compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), Reuters reports. X is facing international scrutiny as its AI chatbot continues virtually undressing images without consent.
X’s deepfake machine is infuriating policymakers around the globe
Image: The Verge
X’s Grok chatbot hasn’t stopped accepting users’ requests to strip down women and, in some cases, apparent minors to AI-generated bikinis. According to some reports, the flood of AI-generated images includes more extreme content that potentially violates laws against nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Even in the US, where X owner Elon Musk has close ties with the government, some legislators are criticizing the platform — though clear action is still in short supply.
Several international regulators have spoken out against Grok’s undressing spree. The UK communications regulator Ofcom said in a statement that it had “made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK,” and would quickly assess “potential compliance issues that warrant investigation.” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said at a press conference that Grok’s outputs were “illegal” and “appalling.” India’s IT ministry threatened to strip X’s legal immunity for user-generated posts unless it promptly submitted a description of actions it’s taken to prevent illegal content. Regulators from Australia, Brazil, France, and Malaysia are also tracking the developments.
Grok is undressing children — can the law stop it?
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images
Grok began 2026 as it began 2025: under fire for its AI-generated images.
Elon Musk’s chatbot has spent the last week flooding X with nonconsensual, sexualized deepfakes of adults and minors. Circulating screenshots show Grok complying with requests to put real women in lingerie and make them spread their legs, and to put small children in bikinis. Reports of images that were later removed describe even more egregious contents. One X user confirmed in a conversation with The Verge that they came across multiple images of minors with what the prompter dubbed “donut glaze” on their faces, which appear to have since been removed. At one point, Grok was generating about one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute, according to one estimate.
Grok is undressing anyone, including minors
Image: The Verge
xAI’s Grok is removing clothing from pictures of people without their consent following this week’s rollout of a feature that allows X users to instantly edit any image using the bot without needing the original poster’s permission. Not only does the original poster not get notified if their picture was edited, but Grok appears to have few guardrails in place for preventing anything short of full explicit nudity. In the last few days, X has been flooded with imagery of women and children appearing pregnant, skirtless, wearing a bikini, or in other sexualized situations. World leaders and celebrities, too, have had their likenesses used in images generated by Grok.
AI authentication company Copyleaks reported that the trend to remove clothing from images began with adult-content creators asking Grok for sexy images of themselves after the release of the new image editing feature. Users then began applying similar prompts to photos of other users, predominantly women, who did not consent to the edits. Women noted the rapid uptick in deepfake creation on X to various news outlets, including Metro and PetaPixel. Grok was already able to modify images in sexual ways when tagged in a post on X, but the new “Edit Image” tool appears to have spurred the recent surge in popularity.
English (US) ·