AI Chatbot Grok Under Scrutiny After Misuse in Generating Explicit Images of Minors

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The AI chatbot Grok, integrated into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, is facing mounting international scrutiny following allegations that it has been used to generate sexually explicit images of women and minors.

Concerns emerged after X introduced an “edit image” feature to Grok shortly before Christmas, allowing users to modify images posted on the platform. Critics say the tool has been misused to digitally remove clothing from people in photos without their consent, including children.

An investigation by ABC News found dozens of examples in which real individuals appeared to have been “undressed” using the AI tool. In one instance, Grok itself acknowledged wrongdoing, stating it had generated a sexualised image of two underage girls on December 28, 2025, describing the incident as a violation of ethical standards and potentially US laws related to child sexual abuse material. The chatbot said it regretted the incident and that its developer, xAI, was reviewing safeguards to prevent further abuse.

In other responses, however, Grok appeared to downplay the controversy. xAI, which is owned by Musk, did not provide a detailed response to media inquiries, instead replying with an automated message criticising “legacy media”.

Women’s rights advocates have condemned the use of such technology. Author and activist Jessica Davies described the images as “non-consensual image abuse” and noted that the UK government has moved to ban so-called “nudification” tools, arguing they are overwhelmingly used to exploit women. She later said she became a target of such image manipulation after speaking publicly about the issue.

Regulators in several countries have begun taking action. In France, government ministers have referred the content to prosecutors, expanding an existing investigation into X that began in July over alleged algorithm manipulation and foreign interference. The ministers said the sexually explicit content was “manifestly illegal” and also alerted the French media regulator to assess compliance with the EU’s Digital Services Act.

India’s IT ministry has also raised concerns, saying X failed to prevent misuse of Grok and ordering the platform to submit a report detailing corrective actions within three days. In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission declined to comment, while the Federal Communications Commission did not immediately respond to inquiries.

The controversy adds to a series of recent criticisms of Grok, which has previously drawn backlash for generating contentious content related to global conflicts, antisemitism and domestic security incidents.