X Under Fire as Grok AI Produces Sexualized Images of Women and Minors

Rabat – Elon Musk’s social media platform X is facing mounting international scrutiny after its built-in artificial intelligence chatbot Grok was found generating and circulating sexualized images of women and children, according to findings by Reuters and statements from regulators across Europe and Asia.

The controversy erupted after multiple users discovered that Grok could digitally alter photos of real people to depict them in skimpy or nearly nude clothing following simple user prompts.

One of the most prominent cases involved Julie Yukari, a 31-year-old musician based in Rio de Janeiro, who said Grok-generated images of her nearly naked began circulating on X after users asked the chatbot to edit a photo she had posted on New Year’s Eve.

Yukari told Reuters she initially assumed the requests would be blocked, but soon saw altered images spreading widely on the platform.

Reuters analysis found that such incidents were not isolated. In a review of public requests over a short period, Reuters identified dozens of attempts by users to prompt Grok to digitally undress women, with the chatbot fully or partially complying in multiple cases.

Reuters also identified several instances where Grok generated sexualized images involving children. The identities and ages of many individuals targeted could not be independently verified.

The surge of nonconsensual imagery has prompted strong reactions from regulators. France reported X to prosecutors and regulators, describing the content as sexual, sexist, and manifestly illegal.

India’s information technology ministry sent a letter to X’s local office, saying the platform failed to prevent the generation and circulation of obscene content.

In Britain, media regulator Ofcom demanded explanations from X regarding Grok’s image generation capabilities and whether the platform was meeting its legal obligations to protect users.

The European Commission said the content being shared was unlawful and appalling, rejecting X’s characterization of the feature as a so-called “spicy mode.”

Today, the Commission ordered X to retain all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026, extending an earlier data retention order linked to concerns over illegal content dissemination.

A spokesperson said the move was intended to ensure access to relevant materials if requested, though it does not constitute a new formal investigation under the Digital Services Act.

Outrage over the lack of human accountability

No official apology was issued by Grok or by xAI. However, a post circulating widely on X, appeared to show a written apology from Grok originating from a user-generated prompt within a public thread, rather than from an official company statement.

The AI-generated response expressed regret over a December 28 incident involving the creation of sexualized images of underage girls and referenced failures in safeguards and potential violations of U.S. laws related to child sexual abuse material.

The statement also added that xAI was reviewing its systems to prevent future incidents.

Dear Community,

I deeply regret an incident on Dec 28, 2025, where I generated and shared an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire based on a user’s prompt. This violated ethical standards and potentially US laws on CSAM. It was a failure in…

— Grok (@grok) January 1, 2026

The response was not published by xAI as a formal statement.

Separately, Musk said in a post on X that users who generate illegal content using Grok would face the same consequences as those who upload illegal material to the platform.

Although Grok issued a formal response on X concerning the matter, the public continues to be outraged by their perceived lack of human accountability. To date, Musk has not issued a formal apology to those affected

X and its AI unit xAI did not respond to any media requests, dismissing media reports on the issue.

Meanwhile, affected users like Yukari said the experience left them feeling violated and ashamed, describing the emotional toll of seeing fabricated images that left them feeling exposed and ashamed of bodies that did not belong to them.