Concerns have grown over Elon Musk’s social media platform X after reports that its artificial intelligence (AI) tool, Grok was used to create sexualised images of people without their consent, including children.
The controversy involves X’s AI chatbot, Grok, which was found to be capable of altering images uploaded by users and turning them into sexual content. Some of the images were generated using the free version of the tool before restrictions were introduced. Campaigners and researchers said the material appeared realistic and went further than earlier examples of misuse seen on the platform.
Responding to the criticism, the owner of X, Elon Musk, said those attacking the platform were “looking for any excuse for censorship”. His remarks were widely seen as dismissive and triggered more backlash from politicians and campaign groups.
UK Prime Minister described the creation of non-consensual sexual images as “disgraceful” and “disgusting”. Liz Kendall, UK’s technology secretary said the abuse of women and children through manipulated images was “despicable and abhorrent” and demanded swift action from regulators.
Ashley St Clair, who said the AI generated sexualised images of her as a child, accused X of failing to act responsibly. She said the platform was “not taking enough action” to deal with illegal and harmful content, adding that “this could be stopped with a singular message to an engineer”.
Regulators responded by launching an urgent assessment of X under online safety laws. A spokesperson said they had contacted the company and set a deadline for explanations, adding, “We’re now undertaking an expedited assessment as a matter of urgency and will provide further updates shortly.”
The UK government said it would fully support the regulator if tougher measures were needed. One minister warned that failure to comply with safety rules could lead to serious consequences, including restrictions on access to the platform.
X has since limited its AI image generation and editing features to paying subscribers. This decision was criticised by officials, with one government source describing the move as “insulting” to victims of sexual violence.
