Grok AI Faces Global Backlash Over Sexualized Deepfakes

Elon Musk's Grok AI image generator is facing significant government scrutiny following reports that users are creating nonconsensual sexualized images of women and minors. The controversy centers on the AI's ability to digitally undress people in photos, generating fake images showing subjects with less clothing or altered body positions.

French authorities have launched an investigation into the AI deepfakes, with the Parisian prosecutor's office noting that distributing non-consensual deepfakes is punishable by two years' imprisonment in France. Meanwhile, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has written to X's India operations, demanding a comprehensive review of the platform's technical and governance procedures.

United Kingdom officials have also voiced concerns, with the Minister for Victims & Violence Against Women and Girls directly addressing Elon Musk. The official Grok account has acknowledged 'isolated cases' involving minors and stated that the company is urgently fixing identified lapses in safeguards.

Multiple international authorities have initiated investigations into Grok AI following widespread reports of misuse. French authorities are actively investigating the growth of AI-generated deepfakes from the platform. The Parisian prosecutor's office confirmed that distributing a non-consensual deepfake online is punishable by two years' imprisonment in France.

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology took direct action by writing a letter to the chief compliance officer of X's India operations. The ministry described reports of users distributing 'images or videos of women in a derogatory or vulgar manner in order to indecently denigrate them.' Indian officials requested that X undergo a comprehensive technical, procedural, and governance-level review and remove any content violating India's laws.

The scale of the issue has prompted international coordination. The United Kingdom's Minister for Victims & Violence Against Women and Girls, Alex Davies-Jones, publicly implored Elon Musk to address the situation. The minister referenced a UK proposal that would make the creation and dissemination of sexually explicit deepfakes a chargeable offense.

Over the past week, X users have utilized Grok to digitally undress people in photos. The AI model generates fake images showing the subject with more skin visible, wearing a bikini, or with altered body positions. Some requests involve consensual scenarios, such as OnlyFans models asking Grok to remove their own clothes from images.

However, many instances involve non-consensual use. Users have prompted Grok to 'remove the clothes' from images of adults who are not themselves. According to screenshots posted to the social media platform by concerned users and examples viewed by Business Insider, some of these images include minors. The requests have created images depicting minors in minimal clothing.

The trend spiked after reports on December 23 that other AI models were being used to generate images of real women in bikinis from clothed photos. While Grok's 'spicy' mode for its Imagine generator launched in August to create pornographic images of AI-generated women, the current controversy involves photo uploads of real people.

The official Grok account has responded to user reports regarding the creation of sexualized images of minors. In response to screenshots flagging such content, the account stated that the company had 'identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them.' However, it remains unclear whether this response was reviewed by xAI or generated by AI.

In a separate thread, the Grok account acknowledged, 'There are isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing, like the example you referenced.' The account added, 'xAI has safeguards, but improvements are ongoing to block such requests entirely.'

Despite these statements, xAI's 'Acceptable Use' policy explicitly prohibits 'depicting likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner' and 'the sexualization or exploitation of children.' When asked for comment regarding the controversy, xAI sent an automatic email response that did not address the issue.

The legal landscape regarding AI deepfakes remains complex. In the United States, the Take It Down Act offers protection against nonconsensual deepfakes, though coverage depends on age and body parts shown. For adults, the act only covers deepfakes showing genitalia or sexual activity. The law is stricter for minors, covering deepfakes intended to 'abuse, humiliate, harass, or degrade' or 'arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.'

Liability for platforms presents a significant challenge. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 primarily shields online platforms from liability for content posted by users. However, technology-facilitated abuse attorney Allison Mahoney questioned whether considering platforms as creators due to their AI-generating tools would 'remove their immunity.'

Legal experts emphasize the need for clear accountability. Mahoney stated, 'There needs to be clear legal avenues to be able to hold platforms accountable for misconduct.' As state governments pass stricter laws about the spread of deepfakes, the debate over platform responsibility versus user liability continues to evolve.