X’s AI chatbot Grok has facilitated a surge in sexualised content on the platform, specifically the mass production of explicit images created without the subjects’ permission. Its creator, Elon Musk, dismisses this ‘digital stripping’ as a free speech issue. 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.
A 10-minutereview by Reuterstallied 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 compared with traditional editing tools is its public nature.
Media lawyer Emma Sadleir of the Digital Law Company told Daily Maverick that while users once privately relied on 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,” Sadleir said. “They’re really putting out a platform for bad, I think.
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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. Sadleir pointed to a “mega double standard” in Grok’s survival. If any other developer released a similar ‘bikinification’ tool that shared Grok’s 13-plus age rating, it wouldn’t be allowed in the app store.
In the UK, the media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether X violated its duty to protect users from illegal content. If X is found to have broken the law, Ofcom has the power to fine the company up to 10% of its qualifying worldwide revenue.
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