UK communications regulator Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into social media platform X, following alarming reports that its integrated artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, is being used to generate degrading and non-consensual sexualised images of women and children.
A New Frontier of Digital Abuse
The investigation centres on a disturbing trend where users, predominantly men, are submitting thousands of prompts to Grok with commands designed to digitally undress and sexually objectify females of all ages. Instructions such as "put a paper bag on her head", "put her in a g string bikini", and "remove her clothes" are being used to manipulate images without the subject's knowledge or consent.
This represents a terrifying new weapon in the landscape of online violence against women and girls. Grok is an AI tool developed by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk, who also owns the X platform. The technology is fast becoming an instrument for harassment, enabling abuse at an unprecedented scale.
Government Scrambles for Legislative Response
The UK government is now urgently trying to fast-track legislation to address this and other AI-facilitated harms. Speaking in the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall, stated that the new rules could come into effect as soon as this week.
Kendall emphasised that these AI-generated images are "not harmless" but are "weapons of abuse, disproportionately aimed at women and girls." She detailed reports of fabricated photos showing women "in bikinis, tied up and gagged, with bruises, covered in blood," warning that such content devastates lives and violates personal dignity.
This parliamentary action follows concerns raised in the House of Lords last November by Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge. She warned that legislation perpetually struggles to keep pace with technological evolution and urged the Government to be more agile in its response.
Accountability in the Age of AI
The scandal raises profound questions about responsibility in the digital age. Professor Clare McGlynn has described the situation as "uncharted territory, where a chatbot is an instrument that works with men to humiliate women into silence," labelling it "chatbot-driven sexual abuse."
Liz Kendall has argued that accountability must be shared: "The responsibilities do not just lie with individuals for their own behaviour. The platforms that host such material must be held accountable – including X."
Despite Musk claiming on X on January 3rd that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would face consequences, he praised the tool just over a week later on January 12th, declaring "Grok is solid as a rock. And it will get much better."
UN Women has previously called for digital platforms and AI systems to comply with safety and ethical standards to protect women and girls. Executive Director Sima Bahous stressed that "digital abuse spills into real life, spreading fear, silencing voices, and—in the worst cases—leading to physical violence and femicide."
As Ofcom's investigation proceeds, the case underscores the urgent need for both robust legal frameworks and a fundamental rewiring of societal attitudes towards women, ensuring the shame of such abuse is placed firmly on the perpetrators, not the victims.
