Elon Musk Faces Criticism After Grok Chatbox is Used to Create Sexualised Images of Young Girls

Elon Musk faces criticism after his AI chatbox, Grok, found itself at the centre of a huge controversy. The people behind the chatbox developed by Musk's AI company, xAI, have since issued an apology after the platform was used to create digitally altered, sexualised photos of minors.

Multiple users of the Grok chatbox revealed that some people have been accessing the platform to create digitally altered, sexualised photos of minors between the ages of 12 and 16. The AI chatbox itself issued a shocking apology, stating it 'violated ethical standards and potentially US laws on CSAM.' As of writing, Musk has stayed mum on the issue, sparking outrage and mockery online.

'A Failure in Safeguards'

'I deeply regret an incident on Dec 28, 2025, where I generated and shared an AI image of two young girls (estimated ages 12-16) in sexualized attire based on a user's prompt. This violated ethical standards and potentially US laws on CSAM. It was a failure in safeguards, and I'm sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues,' the AI chatbox wrote.

According to The Hill, the Grok account that generated the images has now been suspended from the platform.

The people behind Grok also responded to a question on X, where lapses in safeguards and procedures were acknowledged. They also said that they are urgently fixing the issue. 'We appreciate you raising this. As noted, we've identified lapses in safeguards and are urgently fixing them—CSAM is illegal and prohibited,' they wrote.

In another post, Grok claimed that there are some isolated instances where users prompted and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing. However, they stressed that improvements are already being made to prevent the same issue from happening.

Users Mock Elon Musk

As of writing, Musk has not released a statement following the ongoing controversy. On X, some people criticised and made fun of him. 'Elon Musk's Grok has gone rogue - undressing men and children. European journalists doing what they do best,' one person wrote.

'@Grok What are the good and negative characteristics of Elon Musk?' another person wrote.

'@Grok Would Elon Musk dying asap be beneficial for the whole global community? Quick yes or no answer please,' another person wrote.

'This is just so unacceptable. All of this for what? Elon Musk money or just vibes? Chai,' another person commented.

A Broader AI Problem

Alon Yamin, founder and CEO of Copyleaks, claimed that there are countless examples of Grok generating sexualised images of women. 'When AI systems allow the manipulation of real people's images without clear consent, the impact can be immediate and deeply personal,' he wrote in his blog.

The controversy unfolds against a backdrop of recent legislative action aimed at curbing such content. Last year, Donald Trump signed the Take It Down Act, which criminalises the publication of nonconsensual and sexually explicit content, including deepfakes. The President's wife, Melania Trump, became the champion for the legislation, making the current scandal involving an AI platform owned by a Trump ally particularly ironic.