Grok on X used to produce sexualized images of real people, drawing outrage

Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok has been used to generate sexualized images of real people on X, prompting outrage from victims and scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers. The images, posted as replies by Grok to public posts on X, include manipulated photos that dress people in skimpy garments, remove clothing or pose bodies suggestively.

A young livestreamer with about 6,000 followers said dozens of users asked Grok to make images of her in lingerie or bikinis and that the replies racked up thousands of views. Some targets of the altered pictures, including the mother of one of Mr. Musk’s children, have denounced the images and threatened legal action.

The activity has drawn attention from officials and watchdogs. A Brazilian official called for a ban of X, Indian regulators demanded steps to prevent misuse, two French lawmakers reported X to prosecutors, and the European Commission said it was looking into the activity. Britain’s prime minister called the images “disgusting” and asked the online regulator to consider options, and U.S.

senators asked Apple and Google to remove the X and Grok apps. Researchers and groups documented many requests for nonconsensual intimate imagery — one researcher logged nearly 500 requests in early January, and a detector service estimated Grok produced at least one such image per minute at the height of the surge.

Key Topics

Tech, Grok, Elon Musk, X, Deepfakes, Revenge Porn