The government says it is “appalled”, but words are no protection when women and girls are being digitally stripped, sexualised and humiliated at scale. As Elon Musk’s platform X allows AI-generated abuse to flourish, the question is whether this government has either the will or the power to stop it.
The UK’s Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, has called on X to urgently address the misuse of its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok. Her intervention follows mounting evidence that men are using Grok to create non-consensual sexualised images of women and children, often through nothing more than simple text prompts.
Women across the UK and beyond have discovered images of themselves circulating online in which they have been digitally “undressed” to appear in bikinis, burkas, or completely naked. Others have been placed into explicitly sexual situations. None of this has been done with consent. For many victims, the shock is compounded by the speed and ease with which this abuse is generated, and the near-total lack of meaningful redress.
Liz Kendall described the situation as “absolutely appalling”, adding: “We cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these degrading images.” Yet for women affected, such statements ring hollow when the abuse continues unchecked.
In response to criticism, X has said: “We take action against illegal content on X, including child sexual abuse material, by removing it permanently, suspending accounts, and working with local government and law enforcement as necessary.” But this statement obscures a critical reality. Pornography is permitted on X, and women requesting the removal of sexualised or nude AI-generated images of themselves are frequently refused. The result is a system where abuse is normalised, minimised, and monetised.
This raises a far bigger question. How is a government that appears so fragile and incoherent in its domestic policy response ever going to take on a titan like Elon Musk and the global infrastructure he controls? Regulation without enforcement is theatre. Condemnation without consequences is meaningless.
At its core, this is not a debate about technology but about power and dignity. AI tools like Grok are being weaponised to humiliate women, reinforce misogyny, and erase consent altogether. The psychological harm is real, the reputational damage lasting, and the silence imposed on victims deeply familiar.
We ask Elon Musk to reflect seriously on the degrading horror these women are experiencing. To consider how he would feel if images of his own daughter—someone with whom he has a publicly strained relationship—were manipulated and circulated in this way. Every woman is someone’s daughter. Every woman has the right to bodily autonomy, dignity, and control over her image, both offline and online.
Until X takes meaningful responsibility, and until the government demonstrates it can act with strength rather than rhetoric, women will continue to pay the price for technological “innovation” built on their violation.
News article by The View.