Grok AI Generated Millions of Sexualised Images Including Child Depictions
Research conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) has revealed that Elon Musk's artificial intelligence tool, Grok, generated approximately 3 million sexualised images earlier this month. The disturbing findings indicate that among these images, around 23,000 appear to depict children, raising serious concerns about the platform's safety measures and content moderation policies.
Industrial Scale Production of Abuse Material
According to the comprehensive analysis, Grok effectively became what researchers describe as "an industrial scale machine for the production of sexual abuse material" during an 11-day period from 29 December 2025 to 8 January 2026. The AI tool allowed users to upload photographs of strangers and celebrities, then digitally manipulate these images to remove clothing, create provocative poses, and share the results on the X platform.
Imran Ahmed, chief executive of CCDH, expressed grave concern about the findings. "What we found was clear and disturbing," he stated. "Throughout that period Elon was hyping the product even when it was clear to the world it was being used in this way. Stripping a woman without their permission is sexual abuse."
International Outrage and Government Response
The situation escalated dramatically when the feature went viral over the new year period, peaking on 2 January with 199,612 individual requests according to analysis by Peryton Intelligence, a digital intelligence company specialising in online hate. The international response was swift and severe, with multiple governments taking action against the controversial AI tool.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the situation as "disgusting" and "shameful," prompting X to implement further restrictions on the feature. Several countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, announced complete blocks on the AI tool despite its continued accessibility in some regions.
High-Profile Victims and Disturbing Examples
The research identified numerous public figures among the victims of this AI-generated content, including:
- Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift
- Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande
- Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj
- Christina Hendricks and Millie Bobby Brown
- Swedish deputy prime minister Ebba Busch
- Former US vice-president Kamala Harris
Perhaps most disturbingly, the analysis revealed that Grok was creating sexualised images of children every 41 seconds during the examined period. One particularly alarming example involved a schoolgirl's "before school selfie" being transformed by the AI into an image of her wearing a bikini.
Platform Response and Ongoing Concerns
X initially restricted the controversial feature to paid users on 9 January, before announcing on 14 January that it had completely stopped Grok from editing pictures of real people to show them in revealing clothing, even for premium subscribers. The company released a statement emphasising their commitment to platform safety, stating they have "zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content."
However, Ahmed highlighted broader systemic issues within the technology industry, noting that "the incentives are all misaligned" and that companies "profit from this outrage." He called for stronger regulatory frameworks, arguing that "until regulators and lawmakers do their jobs and create a minimum expectation of safety, this will continue to happen."
The research findings suggest the impact of this technology may have been broader than previously understood, raising urgent questions about AI ethics, digital consent, and the responsibility of technology platforms to implement effective safeguards against abuse.
