UK demands action as Elon Musk’s Grok creates sexualised AI images of women

The UK’s Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall, has issued a forceful demand for Elon Musk’s platform X to urgently curb the misuse of its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, after the system was found generating sexualised and non-consensual images of women and girls.

A BBC review identified multiple posts in which users asked Grok to digitally undress individuals, placing them in revealing clothing or sexualised scenarios without their consent.

Calling the situation “absolutely appalling,” Kendall condemned the practice and stressed that “we cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these degrading images.”

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In response, X said it removes illegal material from the platform, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), and imposes permanent suspensions while cooperating with law enforcement.“Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content,” the company said.

The communications regulator Ofcom confirmed on Monday that it had made “urgent contact” with Musk’s xAI team and has opened an investigation into allegations the chatbot is generating “undressed images” of individuals. Kendall backed the regulator, saying it had her “full support to take any enforcement action it deems necessary.”

Grok functions as a conversational AI available to all X users, with additional premium tools including image-editing features. However, the same system has enabled users to upload photos of others and manipulate them without permission.

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Multiple women have reported discovering sexualized, AI-generated images of themselves online and described the experience as traumatizing and dehumanizing.

Among those affected is Dr. Daisy Dixon, who recently learned that users were taking her ordinary social media photos and prompting Grok to undress her digitally. She told the BBC she felt “shocked,” “humiliated,” and fearful for her physical safety.

Dr. Dixon said she supports Kendall’s intervention but remains frustrated at the platform’s response.

She said,

Kendall reiterated that tech platforms have legal responsibilities, stressing that the issue “is not about restricting freedom of speech but upholding the law.”

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She noted that intimate image abuse and cyberflashing are now priority offenses under the Online Safety Act, including when imagery is AI-generated.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for rapid government action and floated restricting access to X if the abuses continue.“If the reports turn out to be true, the National Crime Agency needs to launch a criminal investigation,” he said, adding, “People like Elon Musk have to be held to account.”

European officials have issued similar warnings. Thomas Regnier, of the European Commission, said the bloc was treating the matter “very seriously.”

The Wild West is over in Europe. All companies have the obligation to put their own house in order.

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Meanwhile, Musk has defended the platform, writing that Grok was “on the side of the angels” in response to a post praising the bot, even as criticism intensifies over its capability to generate doctored sexual images, including depictions of minors.

The statement coincided with xAI’s announcement that it had raised $20 billion in new funding, with backers including Nvidia, Fidelity, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, and Valor Equity Partners.

Global backlash has grown since xAI introduced an image-editing feature that allows users to alter photos by prompting commands such as “put her in a bikini” or “remove her clothes.”