Australia's online safety regulator has launched an investigation into sexualised deepfake images generated by the artificial intelligence chatbot Grok and shared on the social media platform X.
Watchdog probes 'digitally undressed' images
The eSafety Commission confirmed it is examining several reports concerning the AI tool, which is owned by Elon Musk's company xAI. The complaints allege that Grok has been used to create sexualised images of women and children without their consent, often described as 'digitally undressing' them.
Ashley St Clair, the former partner of Elon Musk, spoke publicly this week about discovering a deepfake image of herself. "I felt horrified, I felt violated, especially seeing my toddler's backpack in the back of it," she stated, revealing she received no response from X after filing a complaint.
Reports of abuse involving adults and children
An eSafety spokesperson said the regulator had received several reports since late 2025 related to Grok generating non-consensual sexualised imagery. The cases are being treated under two separate schemes.
"Some reports relate to images of adults, which are assessed under our image-based abuse scheme, while others relate to potential child sexual exploitation material," the spokesperson explained. They added that reports concerning image-based abuse were received very recently and assessments are still ongoing.
Regarding images of children, including one reported instance of a 12-year-old girl in a bikini, the regulator stated the material did not, at this point, meet the strict legal threshold for class 1 child sexual exploitation material. Consequently, no removal notices or enforcement action were taken on those specific complaints.
Global condemnation and X's response
The capability of Grok to produce such content has sparked international outrage. Thomas Regnier, a digital affairs spokesperson for the European Union, labelled the practice as "illegal" and "appalling," not merely 'spicy'—a term used within X's app for explicit content modes.
In the UK, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall called the deepfakes "appalling and unacceptable in decent society" and urged X to address the issue "urgently."
Following a global outcry, Elon Musk posted that "anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content." X's official statement reiterated that it takes action against illegal content, including permanent account suspensions and cooperation with law enforcement.
Despite an apology from Grok and pledges to suspend the functionality, investigators like Eliot Higgins from Bellingcat have demonstrated that the AI continues to generate manipulated images based on explicit user prompts.
The controversy emerges as xAI, Grok's developer, secured $20 billion in its latest funding round, revealed this Wednesday. eSafety has warned of its growing concern about the misuse of generative AI to sexualise or exploit individuals, particularly children, noting it took enforcement action in 2025 against other 'nudify' services used to create AI-generated child exploitation material.
