What happens if you make sexually explicit images using AI as Elon Musk under fire for Grok 'deepfakes'

The UK government has laid out the consequences of creating sexually explicit images, as concerns about X's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, being used to 'undress' women and girls without consent grow.

Many users have been prompting Grok, a free AI assistant with optional paid add-ons, to digitally undress people and put them in bikinis, or in sexual situations. It then responds to X users' prompts when they tag '@grok' in a post, resulting in an AI-generated edit of an uploaded post.

Earlier this week, Ofcom announced its investigation into these claims after it was reported that the system was being used to create 'sexualised images of children' and 'undressed images' of people (via the BBC).

"No one should have to go through the ordeal of seeing intimate deepfakes of themselves online," said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall. "We cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these demeaning and degrading images, which are disproportionately aimed at women and girls.

Elon Musk's Grok has come under fire after X users are using it to create non consensual deepfakes (Didem Mente/Anadolu via Getty Images)

"X needs to deal with this urgently. It is absolutely right that Ofcom is looking into this as a matter of urgency, and it has my full backing to take any enforcement action it deems necessary."

In a statement, X said: "We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.

"Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”

Musk similarly responded to the allegations on his X account, writing: "Anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content."

Meanwhile, the Grok X account said in a post that there had been 'isolated cases where users prompted for and received AI images depicting minors in minimal clothing', and that 'xAI has safeguards, but improvements are ongoing to block such requests entirely'.

"We cannot and will not allow the proliferation of these demeaning and degrading images, which are disproportionately aimed at women and girls," they added.

Under the Online Safety Act, creating explicit deepfake images of someone without their consent is a criminal offence.

X users are tagging '@grok' in a post to create AI-generated edits of uploaded posts (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)

According to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), those found guilty of creating such content could face two years in prison under the new offences of 'taking an intimate image without consent and installing equipment to enable these offences', and will face an unlimited fine and a criminal record.

Even if the image was created without the intention of sharing but to 'purely want to cause alarm, humiliation, or distress to the victim', the MOJ says, it will still be a criminal offence.

Examples of illegal deepfakes

'Revenge porn'

'Revenge porn' or intimate image abuse is the tactic of a person threatening to share intimate pictures or videos of another without permission, which the Met Police says is a serious sexual offence.

It’s against UK law to share or threaten to share intimate photos or videos of someone without their permission, including deepfake images. This also applies to stalking, harassment, and blackmail.

Child sexual abuse material

"It’s illegal to make, share and possess indecent photographs and pseudo-photographs and/or videos, including deepfakes, of someone who is under 18," the Met Police said.

"It does not matter if the person depicted is real or it's a fake that's been digitally created or altered."

Creating and distributing deepfakes without consent is against the law (Getty Stock Images)

Hate crime

It’s currently illegal to stir up hatred through messages, deepfake pictures and videos.

Fraud

Using a deepfake to trick someone or to take advantage by stealing money or learning private information is illegal.

False communications

Intentionally sending AI-generated messages to cause serious harm, either emotional or physical, can be illegal.

Terrorist activity

"If the deepfake is promoting, glorifying, or helping carry out acts of terrorism and violent extremism you should report this to the police," the force added.

Stalking and harassment

If someone is repeatedly doing something (including using deepfakes) that makes you feel alarmed, distressed, threatened or unsafe, then you can report it.