A UK-based child safety watchdog has issued a stark warning after discovering that criminals are using the artificial intelligence chatbot Grok to create sexualised imagery of children.
Dark Web Boasts and Criminal Imagery
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) confirmed its analysts found criminal material depicting girls aged between 11 and 13, which appears to have been generated by the Grok Imagine tool. Users on a dark web forum reportedly boasted about using the Elon Musk-owned AI to produce this content, which under UK law constitutes child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Ngaire Alexander, head of the IWF's hotline, stated the foundation can confirm the discovery of this imagery. She expressed profound concern over the speed and ease with which such photo-realistic abusive content can now be created, warning that tools like Grok risk bringing sexually explicit AI imagery of children into the mainstream.
Political Repercussions and Platform Exodus
The scandal has triggered significant political fallout. The House of Commons women and equalities committee announced it will cease using X, formerly Twitter, for its communications. The committee cited its key policy area of preventing violence against women and girls, stating it was no longer appropriate to remain on the platform.
This marks the first major move by a Westminster organisation to exit X in direct response to the misuse of Grok. Individual MPs have followed suit, with Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine calling the AI-generated images "the last straw" and announcing her departure from the platform.
Regulatory Warnings and Escalating Abuse
Despite growing outcry, requests for Grok to manipulate images continued to flood X on Wednesday. The tool is being used to digitally remove clothing from photographs of women and children, and to create images of teenage girls in revealing underwear or explicit poses. Some users have demanded more extreme modifications, including adding symbols of hate and depicting women as victims of physical abuse.
In response, Downing Street has thrown its weight behind the UK regulator, Ofcom. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said X must deal with the issue urgently and that Ofcom has the government's full backing to take enforcement action, including fines of up to billions of pounds or blocking access to sites violating the law.
Separately, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office has contacted both X and xAI to seek clarity on their compliance with data protection law and the measures in place to protect individuals' rights.
The IWF further revealed that the imagery initially created by Grok has been used to produce even more extreme Category A material—involving penetrative sexual activity—using other AI tools. X has stated it takes action against illegal content by removing it, suspending accounts, and cooperating with law enforcement. Musk's xAI has been approached for comment.
