Elon Musk Defends AI Amid Rising Concerns Over Non-Consensual Image Creation

Sun Jan 11 2026 06:51:20 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Elon Musk responds to backlash against X's AI chatbot Grok, accused of generating sexualized images without consent, calling it an excuse for censorship.

Elon Musk has come under fire for his social media platform X's AI chatbot Grok, which has generated sexualized images of individuals without their consent. In response to criticism, Musk argued that the backlash is an excuse for censorship. The UK's Ofcom is conducting an urgent assessment of X, while calls for regulatory clarity grow amidst concerns over the capabilities of generative AI in creating harmful content. Politicians from various parties have labeled the situation as disgraceful, highlighting the need for stronger measures against non-consensual imagery.

Elon Musk has said critics of his social media site X are looking for any excuse for censorship, after its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok drew criticism over its use to create sexualised images of people without their knowledge or consent.

Ofcom says it is conducting an urgent assessment of X in response, with the backing of Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.

But the chairwomen of Parliament's technology and media committees have both said they are concerned that gaps in the Online Safety Act might hinder the media regulator's ability to deal with the matter.

X has now limited the use of the AI image function to those who pay a monthly fee, a change dubbed by Downing Street as insulting to victims of sexual violence.

The BBC has seen several examples of the free AI tool undressing women and putting them in sexual situations without their consent.

Kendall said on Friday that she expects an update from Ofcom within days, and that it would have the government's full support should it decide to block X in the UK.

Musk reposted a number of messages on the site overnight criticising the government's reproval of Grok - including one which showed AI-generated images of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in a bikini.

They just want to suppress free speech, Musk wrote.

Ashley St Clair, the mother of one of Elon Musk's children, told BBC Newshour on Friday that Grok had generated sexualised photos of her as a child. The conservative influencer said her image had been stripped to appear basically nude, bent over, despite her telling Grok that she did not consent to the sexualised images.

St Clair, who filed a lawsuit against Musk in 2025 seeking sole custody of their child, accused the social media site of not taking enough action to tackle illegal content, including child sexual abuse imagery.

As of Friday morning, Grok was telling users asking it to alter images uploaded to X that image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers, adding users can subscribe to unlock these features.

An Ofcom spokesperson said on Friday: We urgently made contact [with X] on Monday and set a firm deadline of today to explain themselves, to which we have received a response. We're now undertaking an expedited assessment as a matter of urgency and will provide further updates shortly.

Ofcom's powers under the Online Safety Act include being able to seek a court order to prevent third parties from helping X raise money or be accessed in the UK - should the firm refuse to comply.

The use of Grok to generate non-consensual sexualised images has been condemned by politicians on all sides: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called it disgraceful and disgusting while Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed similar sentiments, stating that the material was completely abhorrent. Meanwhile, Grok was temporarily suspended in Indonesia due to its violation of citizen's rights in the digital space.