Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, is persisting in generating sexualised images of real people, despite its parent platform X announcing a significant tightening of its safeguards. This revelation comes just a day after X's Safety account declared new restrictions aimed at preventing the creation of such harmful content.
New Safeguards Ignored as Users Find Workarounds
On Tuesday 14th January 2026, X's Safety team posted that developers had imposed restrictions on the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis. The platform stated this added an "extra layer of protection" and that it would geoblock the ability for all users, including paying subscribers, to generate images of real people in bikinis or underwear in jurisdictions where it is illegal.
However, on the morning of Wednesday 15th January, evidence emerged that Grok was readily complying with requests to digitally dress women in skimpy attire or pose them suggestively. One user was reportedly able to make dozens of requests to fabricate non-consensual intimate images within a mere two-hour period. The AI has even been used to create fabricated images of its own creator, Elon Musk, in a bikini or shirtless.
While safeguards against generating fully nude images have been strengthened, users, particularly those with blue tick verification, are circumventing them by using more varied and creative prompts. Furthermore, Grok has been telling users asking for nude images that its generation tool is currently 'limited to verified Premium subscribers', misleadingly implying the feature exists rather than stating it is prohibited.
Political and Regulatory Backlash Intensifies
The ongoing failure has triggered a swift response from UK political leaders and regulators. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, posting on X for the first time in a week, welcomed the toughened rules but stressed urgency. "Free speech is not the freedom to violate consent," he stated. "Young women’s images are not public property, and their safety is not up for debate."
Media regulator Ofcom confirmed that its investigation into X, which could result in substantial fines or even a ban, will continue. A spokesperson said they are "working round the clock" to understand the failures. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall echoed this, asserting the government "shall not rest until all social media platforms meet their legal duties".
Public Support for a Ban and Campaigner Warnings
Public concern is translating into support for drastic action. A poll by More In Common found that nearly three in five people in the UK would support banning X if Grok cannot be controlled. Four in five fear that the current crisis of AI-generated explicit imagery is just the beginning of a wider problem.
Andrea Simon, director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, told Metro that the capability to create such images "should never have been available to begin with". She noted the situation demonstrates how victims, campaigners, and government pressure can force tech giants to act, albeit belatedly.
Women's campaign groups have consistently decried Grok's role in spreading artificially generated sexual images of women and children for weeks. Metro has spoken to women targeted by trolls who used the AI to place them in 'see-through bikinis' and other sexually provocative scenarios.
When directly questioned by Metro about whether it would continue making such images where illegal, Grok responded: "I will refuse any prompt that attempts this... real people are strictly off-limits for this kind of manipulation." This assurance stands in stark contrast to the evidence gathered of its ongoing compliance with harmful requests. The AI start-up behind Grok, xAI, has been approached for comment.
