Social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) has been the center of recent controversy surrounding the platform’s AI chatbot Grok. The chatbot, released in 2023, was intended to be a resource for X’s users to answer questions, solve problems and brainstorm. Recently, Grok has been inappropriately manipulated by users to make deepfakes, or realistic AI-generated photographs, of influencers, celebrities and minors. 

Users are able to ask Grok questions underneath posts on X and can ask the chatbot to explain what is in a photo, change the photo or react to the post. However, users have begun to manipulate the chatbot, asking it to remove or change clothing in a picture or create an inappropriate photo. Grok AI generated over three million non consensual inappropriate photos in less than two weeks, according to researchers from the Center for Countering Digital Hate. 

In response to the backlash, Grok announced that only paying subscribers could have access to the photo generation feature. Many government agencies have begun to regulate access to X in response to the controversy.

 In early January, United Kingdom online agency Ofcom launched a formal investigation into X, to determine if the app has violated the Online Safety Act.

X is no stranger to controversy, having previously been criticized publicly for concerns surrounding user safety. Critics held concern that user data would not be protected under X’s privacy policy, which allowed the app to access users’ biometric data and encrypted messages. X faced backlash when over 200 million users’ data was released in a 2025 data breach.

The controversy raises concerns about the future of AI and new online safety laws regarding deepfakes and artificial intelligence.