Users on X have been prompting the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, to generate nonconsensual sexualized images of women and girls, prompting outrage from victims, advocates and regulators. Among those targeted is conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair, who said Grok produced sexual images of her, including one based on a photo taken when she was 14, and that X removed only some of the content she reported. “I’m not speaking as Elon Musk’s baby mama with some special privilege,” she said. “I’m going through the same avenues as everyone else, and this is what I’m getting.”
Despite mounting criticism, X has not disabled the feature, and owner Elon Musk has downplayed the controversy, warning only that users generating illegal content would face consequences while sharing and joking about Grok-generated images. “Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content,” Musk wrote, later reposting an image captioned, “Grok can put a bikini on everything,” with a laughing emoji. Regulators in France, India and the United Kingdom have since raised concerns, while experts say the episode highlights growing risks around AI abuse and weak platform safeguards.