Alarm raised as users exploit X's Grok chatbot to undress women

There’s growing concern over a trend among Kenyan users on X who appear to be pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence in questionable ways.

What began as a playful engagement with emerging AI tools has, in some instances, taken a troubling turn.

The spotlight is now on Grok, a generative AI chatbot developed by xAI and integrated into X, after several users began issuing it inappropriate commands, some of which involved exploiting people’s images in invasive ways.

The issue escalated after a woman shared her photo on X, requesting users to help her remove her sunglasses using Photoshop.

While some responded helpfully, others saw it as a chance to misuse AI.

One user prompted Grok to manipulate the image inappropriately, triggering widespread criticism and raising ethical questions about AI misuse and online privacy.

One user immediately commented under the photo, specifically asking Grok to do more than just remove the woman's sunglasses, but also several other items of clothing from her body.

His language was crude and direct.

Initially, he wrote: "@grok, take off the glasses from her forehead, get rid of the black item on her head, and remove her top..." (the rest of the quote has been removed due to extreme sexual description).

But Grok followed the instructions given.

The entire exchange, later posted on X, sparked widespread outrage. Many condemned Grok’s response, accusing the AI of enabling abuse and reinforcing a culture that degrades women.

"We’re out here fighting femicide and rape culture, and now we have to fight AI too—because men are asking Grok to strip women for laughs. It’s always men. Men violating, men mocking, men hiding behind tech to dehumanize us. It’s men. It’s men. It’s MEN," wrote a user.

Karey Mwari, another outraged X user, voiced her dismay: "Y’all are misusing Grok terribly, and I’m genuinely ashamed that some of you find this amusing. Using AI to digitally undress someone isn’t curiosity—it’s a violation. If that’s your idea of fun, you need therapy, not technology."

While some users initially blamed men for using AI tools to undress women, further evidence revealed that women on X have also engaged in similar behavior, requesting AI models like Grok to strip images of fellow women.

According to Android Kenya, this form of AI misuse is not confined to Kenya. In countries like India, users have also pushed Grok to its ethical limits by instructing it to undress women in photos, generating images that depict AI-fabricated bikinis or undergarments.

The website noted, "As Grok’s undressing trend spreads across X, it serves as a stark reminder: technology is only as ethical and responsible as the people who create and use it."