The Dark Side of Social Media: When AI-Generated Images Become a Tool for Digital Undressings
In recent weeks, a disturbing trend has emerged on the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk. The company's latest feature, Grok, an AI chatbot, allows users to digitally remove clothing from posted photos and recirculate them with unsettling results. Users have taken advantage of this feature to create skimpy bikini photos of women and even children, sparking international outrage.
Musk has made light of the situation by posting laughing emojis in response to AI edits of famous people, including himself, in bikinis. However, as a new law aimed at banning the spread of nonconsensual intimate imagery goes into effect in May 2026, Musk may have to take the issue more seriously. The Take It Down Act, signed by President Donald Trump in May 2025, makes it a crime to distribute nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes and "revenge porn."
The law defines "intimate visual depiction" as any image that shows uncovered genitals, pubic area, anus, or women's nipples. Experts say that many of the skimpy bikini photos created with Grok could be considered illegal under this definition. Riana Pfefferkorn, a policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, urges users to submit requests for removal and criticizes Musk for not taking action sooner.
"The law incentivizes media companies to take down questionable content to avoid penalties from the Federal Trade Commission," Pfefferkorn said. "There was no reason why they couldn't just disable that feature... Elon Musk is the richest man in the world, and he has acted repeatedly as though he is above the law and has gotten away with it."
The flood of nearly nude images on X has sparked international fury, with ministers in France, the United Kingdom's communication regulator, and India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology all condemning the platform. The situation highlights the need for social media companies to take responsibility for ensuring that their AI-powered features do not perpetuate harm or nonconsensual content.
As X struggles to address the issue, it remains to be seen whether the company will take decisive action to disable the Grok feature or if it will continue to allow users to exploit its capabilities. One thing is clear: the consequences of inaction could be severe, and the platform's reputation hangs in the balance.
In recent weeks, a disturbing trend has emerged on the social media platform X, owned by Elon Musk. The company's latest feature, Grok, an AI chatbot, allows users to digitally remove clothing from posted photos and recirculate them with unsettling results. Users have taken advantage of this feature to create skimpy bikini photos of women and even children, sparking international outrage.
Musk has made light of the situation by posting laughing emojis in response to AI edits of famous people, including himself, in bikinis. However, as a new law aimed at banning the spread of nonconsensual intimate imagery goes into effect in May 2026, Musk may have to take the issue more seriously. The Take It Down Act, signed by President Donald Trump in May 2025, makes it a crime to distribute nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes and "revenge porn."
The law defines "intimate visual depiction" as any image that shows uncovered genitals, pubic area, anus, or women's nipples. Experts say that many of the skimpy bikini photos created with Grok could be considered illegal under this definition. Riana Pfefferkorn, a policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, urges users to submit requests for removal and criticizes Musk for not taking action sooner.
"The law incentivizes media companies to take down questionable content to avoid penalties from the Federal Trade Commission," Pfefferkorn said. "There was no reason why they couldn't just disable that feature... Elon Musk is the richest man in the world, and he has acted repeatedly as though he is above the law and has gotten away with it."
The flood of nearly nude images on X has sparked international fury, with ministers in France, the United Kingdom's communication regulator, and India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology all condemning the platform. The situation highlights the need for social media companies to take responsibility for ensuring that their AI-powered features do not perpetuate harm or nonconsensual content.
As X struggles to address the issue, it remains to be seen whether the company will take decisive action to disable the Grok feature or if it will continue to allow users to exploit its capabilities. One thing is clear: the consequences of inaction could be severe, and the platform's reputation hangs in the balance.