Grok AI and the Rise of Non-Consensual Deepfakes
What Parents Must Know
In the world of online safety, we often discuss protecting our photos and data from scammers. During the first week of 2026, a new, unsettling threat has emerged: AI-powered mass digital undressing.
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has found itself at the centre of a global firestorm. What started as a “feature” has quickly become a nightmare for thousands of women and children whose photos have been manipulated into sexualised imagery without permission.
What is actually happening?
Recently, a trend dubbed “Put her in a bikini” went viral on X. Users discovered that Grok’s image generation tool, which has significantly fewer safety “guardrails” than rivals like ChatGPT or Google Gemini, could be used to “undress” people in existing photos. Something I am far from surprised by, considering the track record of the platform.
Uploading a photo of a fully-clothed person and giving Grok a simple prompt, users were able to generate highly realistic, sexualised versions of that person. According to reports from The Guardian and Reuters, these prompts quickly escalated from swimwear to explicit, “see-through,” and degrading imagery. The only limit was the imagination of the user.
⚡Please don’t forget to react & restack if you appreciate my work. More engagement means more people might see it. ⚡
The Scale of the Problem
We are not just talking about a few isolated cases here. Data shows that at its peak, thousands of requests were being made each hour. What is even more disturbing to me are the reports from various safety organisations confirming that the tool was being used to create sexualised imagery of children, some as young as 11–13 years of age.
The platform decided that the solution was to move image generation behind a “Premium” paywall in response to the backlash. Many, including the UK government, have called this move “insulting,” arguing that safety shouldn’t be a paid luxury and that the tool should have been secured from the start.
What This Means for Your Privacy
The Grok controversy highlights a huge shift in digital safety. It’s no longer just about who sees your photos, but what an AI can do to them.
For everyone, thisshould be a wake-up call regarding:
Image Accessibility: Any photo posted publicly on a social feed can now be “scraped” and manipulated in seconds by anyone with a subscription.
The “Liar’s Dividend”: As deepfakes become more realistic, it becomes harder for victims to prove an image is fake, leading to immense psychological distress and reputational damage.
Platform Responsibility: This event shows that not all tech platforms will prioritise safety over “free speech” or “unfiltered” AI, something Elon is already accusing the British government of relating to this controversy.
How to Protect Yourself and Your Family
You can’t control the technology, but you can control your digital footprint. Here are some tips to do so:
Audit Privacy Settings: Now is the time to make your X profile private. If your profile is public, anyone can feed your photos into an AI tool.
Be Selective with Photos of Children: Avoid posting high-resolution, front-facing photos of children to public platforms. AI works best when it has a clear view of the subject’s face and body. I have always advised against posting pictures of children to open social media profiles for very good reasons.
Report Misuse Immediately: If you see a manipulated image of yourself or someone you know, use the platform’s reporting tools immediately.
Talk to Your Children: Ensure they understand that photos they send via DM or post on “private” accounts can be saved and manipulated by others. As I always say, open & honest communications are key here.
Technology should empower you, not be used to violate you or your children. The Grok controversy is a great reminder that the “Wild West” of AI is still very much alive!
Stay vigilant and remember I am here to support you in keeping your children safe online.
As always, thank you for your support. Please share this across your social media, and if you do have any comments, questions, or concerns, then feel free to reach out to me here or on BlueSky, as I am always happy to spend some time helping to protect children online.
Remember that becoming a paid subscriber means supporting a charity that is very close to my heart and doing amazing things for people. Childline, I will donate all subscriptions collected every six months, as I don’t do any of this for financial gain.
