Jan 12, 2026
On Twitter/X, a new AI feature called “Edit Image” allows users to create, and then publicly post, sexualized images of women and children. CNBC tech reporter Lora Kolodny discusses her coverage of the issue.
X basically industrialized the creation of fake porn of women who don't consent. Others did it first, but Grok made it normalized and centralized: publicly visible, instantly creatable by anyone, regardless of who's being targeted and dehumanized. Only question now is will X suffer any consequences• Elon Musk’s A.I. Is Generating Sexualized Images of Real People, Fueling Outrage (by Kate Conger, NYT, Jan 9, 2026): “Late Thursday, Mr. Musk’s chatbot, Grok, limited requests for A.I.-generated images on X to paid subscribers of the social media site amid an outcry from victims and regulators.”
In an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Friday, Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon, Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico said [Apple and Google] should ‘immediately remove the X and Grok apps from their app stores until the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, addresses these disturbing and likely illegal activities.’• Elon Musk (X/Twitter, Jan 9, 2026): "The real reason is that they hate free speech"
Indonesia announced that it was temporarily blocking the chatbot from xAI, Mr. Musk’s A.I. company, on Saturday, and the Malaysian government made a similar announcement on Sunday. While officials elsewhere have expressed concern and called for bans over the images, Indonesia and Malaysia are the first countries to formally ban the application.• Elon Musk’s xAI Raises $20 Billion (Kate Conger, NYT, Jan 6, 2026): “The funding is part of an A.I. frenzy, as investors aggressively plow enormous sums into fast-growing start-ups at sky-high valuations.”