Imagine opening social media and discovering that your image has been altered and shared without your consent.
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the platform has undergone numerous changes. An AI tool that allows users to edit images of other people and share them publicly may be one of the most questionable additions so far.
X’s AI Tool Triggers Global Backlash
X has faced increasing criticism in recent weeks, largely due to Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok. The tool allowed users to edit images of other people on the platform and distribute them publicly.
Many of the manipulated images targeted women, altering ordinary photos to make them appear more revealing. In several cases, women were shown wearing lingerie or bikinis despite never having shared such images or given consent.
The backlash was swift and widespread. Authorities in the United Kingdom and Australia intervened, warning the platform of a potential ban if the issue was not resolved.
Following the criticism, X restricted Grok’s image-editing feature to premium users. The company has also stated that the ability to depict real people in sexually suggestive clothing has been fully disabled.
As criticism continued to mount, several celebrities and public figures publicly condemned the developments on X. One of the most prominent voices was the well-known content creator Pokimane, who spoke out strongly against the misuse of AI-generated images.
Pokimane VS. AI Image Abuse
In a viral post on TikTok, Pokimane spoke against this situation:
“It’s clear to me that this has only gotten worse, especially because there’s a certain platform that is not only allowing these images to be freely distributed, but literally has a built-in tool that allows people to create it."
She explained that this was not a new issue for her personally and noted that she has the financial privilege to take action against it. According to her, she has already spent thousands of dollars fighting the spread of such content. At the same time, she pointed out that creating and distributing this material is far cheaper and easier than taking legal action to remove it. As a result, she called for stronger progress in legislation, while also expressing visible frustration over how little progress has been made in this area so far:
“I am just shocked at the lack of progress that we have made. Legislation feels like a freaking snail in comparison to the torpedo that is technology and AI.”
The controversy serves as a warning of the ethical challenges that come with rapid AI development. While artificial intelligence offers countless opportunities, its misuse on social platforms shows how easily innovation can turn harmful. Users deserve protection from the malicious manipulation of their content, especially when platforms themselves provide the tools that enable it. Without meaningful changes, similar controversies are likely to emerge again.
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