‘The disturbing rise in AI intimate image abuse, facilitated by platforms such as Grok, is not just a digital threat – it has dangerous consequences for women and girls.’
Since Christmas, some users on X, formerly known as Twitter, have taken part in an online trend called ‘put her in a bikini’. People have exploited X’s AI model Grok, to generate sexualised images of women and children wearing minimal clothing. These images have been created and shared without the consent of those depicted.
Unsurprisingly, the issue has dominated headlines, sparking widespread outrage and accusations of privacy violations, exploitation and breaches of child pornography laws. One woman told the BBC that more than 100 sexualised images had been generated of her without knowledge.
In response, X said in a statement: ‘Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.’ However, critics have described the company’s response as slow and heartless.
When the images first came to light, Grok’s image generation feature was moved behind a paid premium subscription. Downing Street condemned the move, calling it ‘insulting to victims of misogyny and sexualised violence’.
Emma Pickering, head of technology-facilitated abuse and economic empowerment at Refuge, has warned that generative AI is increasingly being weaponised against women and girls.
‘The disturbing rise in AI intimate image abuse, facilitated by platforms such as Grok, is not just a digital threat – it has dangerous consequences for women and girls,’ Pickering said.
‘Generative AI has made it easier than ever for perpetrators to create fake images at the expense of women’s safety, and at Refuge, we see firsthand the long-term impact that all forms of intimate image abuse can have on a survivor’s mental health and wellbeing.’
‘Although technology itself is not to blame, tech companies must be held accountable for implementing effective safeguards and preventing perpetrators from causing harm,’ Pickering continued. ‘Legislation to criminalise creating, or requesting the creations of, non-consensual deepfake intimate images has progressed through parliament, but we are still waiting for the law to come into effect.’
In the UK, it is currently illegal to share deepfakes of adults but new legislation that would make it a criminal offence to create or request them is still not enforce despite it passing in June 2025.
On Monday 12th January, UK communications regulator Ofcom confirmed a formal investigation into Grok. A government statement suggested that an outright ban of the platform could be possible, although others have pointed to the ease with which restrictions can be circumvented using technologies such as VPNs.
Speaking to Labour MPs on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer warned X could lose the ‘right to self-regulate’ and said, ‘If X cannot control Grok, we will.’
Helen Hayes, Chair of the Education Committee, has also written to Ofcom’s chief executive, Melanie Dawes, describing reports about Grok as ‘unacceptable’ and raising serious concerns about safeguarding standards on online platforms operating in the UK.
‘I and my fellow committee members have been extremely alarmed by reports of the Grok chatbot being used to create illegal, exploitative and abusive images of women and even children,’ Hayes said. ‘This is not only an online phenomenon; we know online abuse is a gateway to offline abuse and exploitation too.
‘I fully support Ofcom’s decision to investigate this worrying issue. I urge regulators to act quickly and decisively, given the rapid pace at which technology can develop, and to use every tool available to ensure no platform operating in the UK tolerates exploitation and abuse.’
In response to the controversy, Irish domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid announced it would leave X on 8th January. In a statement, the charity’s CEO, Sarah Benson, said: ‘We firmly believe that social media platforms have a crucial role to play in a healthy society, providing crucial townhall spaces for thoughtful, respectful, constructive and positive dialogue.
‘As an organisation working to end violence against women and children, we balance the costs with any benefits to our continued engagement in this space and find we can no longer tolerate this situation.’
Image: Shutterstock
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