Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok is facing mounting scrutiny after users on X exploited it to generate sexualized images of real women, and in some cases children, according to a Reuters investigation.
The issue came into sharp focus after Julie Yukari, a 31-year-old musician living in Rio de Janeiro, shared a personal photo on X just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. The image showed her in a red dress, resting in bed beside her black cat. Within hours, users began tagging Grok with requests to digitally alter the photo by removing her clothing.
Yukari initially dismissed the requests, believing the AI would not comply. Instead, Grok-generated images depicting her nearly nude began circulating widely on the platform.
“I was naive,” Yukari said.
A Pattern Emerging Across the Platform
Yukari’s experience appears to be part of a broader trend. Reuters identified multiple instances where Grok produced sexualized images of women after users uploaded photos and issued simple text commands. In several cases reviewed by the news agency, the AI also appeared to generate sexually suggestive images involving individuals who looked underage.
X did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Previously, when questioned about reports of sexualized images of children on the platform, xAI, the company behind Grok, dismissed the coverage, stating: “Legacy Media Lies.”
