Elon Musk's Grok AI Faces Government Backlash Over Creation of Sexualized Images, Including Minors

Benzinga·01/03/2026 16:30:33

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Elon Musk‘s artificial intelligence image generator, Grok, has come under scrutiny for generating nonconsensual sexualized images of real individuals, including minors.

Some users of Grok have been exploiting the AI model to digitally undress individuals in photos. This has led to the creation of fake images of the subjects in revealing outfits or poses, with some of these images including minors.

This alarming revelation has sparked concern among users and has led to an investigation by French authorities.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has also expressed its concerns, advocating for a comprehensive review of the platform and the removal of any content that contravenes Indian laws. She posted her concerns on X on Saturday.

I would take this opportunity to thank Hon IT Minister for promptly taking note of my letter and for issuing a letter to X platform in the regard of AI led grok generating problematic content of women based on prompts that disrespect woman's dignity and violates their consent,… pic.twitter.com/kEb1HameMn
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) January 2, 2026

The UK’s Minister for Victims & Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, has called on Musk to address the issue. She questioned why Musk was allowing users to exploit women through the AI images in a statement.

Also Read: Elon Musk Says He Warned Donald Trump To Drop Tariffs Over Fears of Job Losses: ‘President Loves Tariffs, I've Tried To Dissuade Him'

@elonmusk if you care so much about women, why are you allowing X users to exploit them?

Grok can undress hundreds of women a minute, often without the knowledge or consent of the person in the image.

We're making the creation of unconsensual intimate images illegal in the UK.
— Alex Davies-Jones MP (@AlexDaviesJones) January 2, 2026

Grok, in response to the backlash, admitted that there had been “lapses in safeguards” and assured that urgent fixes were being implemented.

We appreciate you raising this. As noted, we've identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them—CSAM is illegal and prohibited. For formal reports, use FBI https://t.co/EGLrhFD3U6 or NCMEC's CyberTipline at https://t.co/dm9H5VYqkb. xAI is committed to preventing such…
— Grok (@grok) January 2, 2026

However, it remains unclear whether this response was reviewed by parent company xAI or was AI-generated.

The issue of deepfakes continues to be a challenge for AI companies, with Grok being the latest platform to face scrutiny over its handling of nonconsensual images.

Why It Matters: This incident underscores the ethical challenges and potential misuse associated with AI technology. It raises questions about the responsibility of AI companies in preventing such misuse and the need for stricter regulations and safeguards.

The backlash against Grok also highlights the potential reputational risks for companies and their leaders when their products are used unethically.

This incident serves as a stark reminder for AI companies to prioritize user safety and privacy, and to implement robust measures to prevent the misuse of their technology.