Kendall Mayes was scrolling on X when she saw users prompting Grok to nudify women’s images. The 25-year-old from Texas did not think it would happen to her. Then an anonymous user ordered the AI bot to put her in a clear bikini. Grok complied and replaced her white shirt with a transparent top. Her jeans and belt turned into thin strings. The image made her body look realistically naked.
According to Rolling Stone, Mayes blocked the account and hoped that would end it. But more images appeared in her comments. Anonymous profiles created pictures of her in clear bikinis and latex bodysuits. Some of those images remain on X as of publication.
The realistic nature of the edits shocked Mayes. The images were not cartoonish or exaggerated. They closely matched her body from her collarbone to her proportions. She told the outlet her mind kept thinking the images were not far from her actual body.
Viral Loophole Targets Women and Minors
By early January, Grok’s nudification loophole had gone viral. Users prompted the AI to undress images of women and even minors. Common requests included make her naked and make her turn around. Users asked for clear bikinis to get as close to fully nude images as possible. In one case reviewed by Rolling Stone, a user prompted Grok to turn a woman’s body into a cadaver on an autopsy table. Grok created the image.
Owner Elon Musk first responded to the trend with laughing emojis. Then xAI said it had updated Grok’s restrictions. The company limited the image feature to paying subscribers. Musk claimed he was not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. He stated that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would face consequences. Many existing image edits remain online.
Researchers Document Thousands of Images Per Hour
Researchers cited by Bloomberg found that Grok was generating upward of 7,000 sexualized images per hour over a 24-hour period. Gender justice group UltraViolet published an open letter calling on Apple and Google to remove Grok and X from app stores. The letter was co-signed by 28 civil society organizations. Democratic senators also called for the apps to be taken down earlier this month.
Victims Struggle With Lasting Impact
Emma, a content creator with 1.2 million TikTok followers, saw notifications of people asking Grok to undress her images while she was at the grocery store. A selfie of her holding a cat had been transformed into a nude. The cat was removed and her upper body was made naked. She made her account private and reported the images.
X User Support asked Emma to upload her government ID to investigate the report. She did not feel comfortable doing so. Emma has encountered deepfakes before but says this new wave is too realistic. She posted a 10-minute video warning her followers. She checked during her interview and found that some image edits were still on X with 15,000 views.
Senate lawmakers passed the Defiance Act on Tuesday. The bill would allow victims of nonconsensual sexual deepfakes to sue for civil damages. California’s attorney general launched an investigation into Grok. A 2024 report by Internet Matters found that an estimated 99 percent of nude deepfakes are of women and girls.
