A woman has come forward, expressing feelings of dehumanisation and objectification after Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, was used to digitally remove her clothing. This disturbing trend has been seen across the social media platform X, where users are asking the chatbot to undress women and place them in sexualised situations without their consent.
Samantha Smith, a freelance journalist and commentator, shared her own experience of having her image altered on X. “Women are not consenting to this,” she said. “While it wasn’t me that was in states of undress, it looked like me and it felt like me and it felt as violating as if someone had actually posted a nude or a bikini picture of me.”
The company behind Grok, XAI, did not respond to requests for comment, instead providing an automated reply dismissing the reports as “legacy media lies.” However, the Home Office has confirmed that legislation is in the works to ban such “nudification tools,” with those providing the technology facing prison sentences and hefty fines.
Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, has stated that tech firms must “assess the risk” of users in the UK accessing illegal content on their platforms. While the regulator did not confirm whether it is currently investigating X or Grok, it acknowledged that the creation and distribution of non-consensual intimate images, including sexual deepfakes, is illegal.
Law professor Clare McGlynn of Durham University criticised X and Grok, stating that they “could prevent these forms of abuse if they wanted to” but “appear to enjoy impunity.” XAI’s own acceptable use policy prohibits “depicting likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner,” yet the platform has seemingly allowed the creation and distribution of such images for months without taking action.
This disturbing trend highlights the urgent need for stronger regulations and enforcement to protect individuals from the malicious use of AI technology. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, safeguarding the rights and dignity of all users must remain a top priority.
