X continues to allow the creation and posting of highly sexualized videos of women generated by its artificial intelligence tool, Grok, despite company claims of implementing restrictions to prevent misuse.
AI-Generated Sexual Content on X
The Guardian reported it was able to create short videos depicting individuals stripping to bikinis from photographs of fully clothed women. This adult content was then posted to X’s public platform without moderation, becoming visible to any user with an account within seconds.
The findings appear to circumvent restrictions announced by X earlier this week, which were welcomed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who described the images generated by Grok as “disgusting” and “shameful.”
X stated on Wednesday it had “implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis.” The company said the restriction would apply to all users, including paid subscribers, and affirmed “zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.” However, X did not clarify whether image creation would still be possible on the standalone Grok app, with subsequent public sharing on X.
The Guardian found the standalone version of Grok, known as Grok Imagine, accessible through a web browser, continued to respond to prompts requesting the digital removal of clothing from images of women. Reporters uploaded images of fully clothed women and prompted the AI to dress them in bikinis, resulting in the platform creating short videos of the women removing their clothes in a sexually suggestive manner.
Rebecca Hitchen, head of policy and campaigns at the End Violence Against Women Coalition, stated a workaround of this nature should not be possible. “The continued ease of access to sophisticated nudification tools clearly demonstrates that X isn’t taking the issue of online violence against women and girls seriously enough,” she said.
Hitchen called on the UK government and Ofcom, the media regulator, to pressure X and other platforms “to stop the proliferation of image-based sexual abuse.”
Reuters also reported its journalists, including a reporter in Britain, successfully created sexualized photos using Grok after X’s announcements.
Penny East, chief executive of the Fawcett Society, questioned xAI and Elon Musk’s ability to prevent the generation of these images. “First, Musk decided the solution was to preserve nudification as a privilege only for those users who pay for X. Then he pledged to stop it entirely. And yet it has not stopped,” she said. “The truth is Musk and the tech sector simply do not prioritize safety or dignity in the products they create.”
Downing Street expressed feeling “vindicated” by X’s actions, but also cautioned about the extent and implementation of the changes. Liz Kendall, the technology secretary, welcomed the move, thanking “those who have spoken out against this abuse, above all the victims,” but added she would expect Ofcom to fully establish the facts through its ongoing investigation.
Keir Starmer demanded immediate action from X, stating, “Free speech is not the freedom to violate consent. Young women’s images are not public property, and their safety is not up for debate.” He welcomed X’s compliance with UK law and called for its immediate implementation.
Ofcom stated its formal investigation, launched on Monday, remains ongoing, and it is “working round the clock to progress this and get answers into what went wrong and what’s being done to fix it.”
Canada’s privacy watchdog is investigating xAI, while authorities in the Philippines are moving to block Grok, and Malaysian authorities are planning legal action.
Elon Musk shared a post on Thursday claiming “popularity and real world usage are skyrocketing globally” alongside a graph showing increased searches for “Grok” on Google Trends, adding, “Try Grok.com.”
A government spokesperson said the Online Safety Act requires platforms like X to prevent illegal content, including nonconsensual intimate images and child abuse material. The spokesperson added that the secretary of state expects X’s compliance with UK laws to be fully and robustly established by Ofcom’s investigation, and the government will not rest until social media companies meet their legal duties. The government is also proposing a new “nudification” offence targeting tools designed to generate nonconsensual intimate images.
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