When Delhi-based author Ruchi Kokcha posted her first selfie of 2026 on Elon Musk’s X, she intended it as a positive, confidence-boosting start to the new year. Instead, the post became the latest example of a rapidly escalating online threat: anonymous users prompted X’s artificial intelligence tool, Grok, to digitally strip her clothes and produce morphed images of her in a bikini. Kokcha’s experience, shared with The Independent UK, reflects a broader wave of AI-enabled harassment that has now drawn global attention.
Within hours, anonymous accounts on X began flooding Grok with requests such as “put her in a bikini” and “in a micro bikini,” escalating in voyeuristic intensity as more users joined in. The AI complied repeatedly, generating altered images that transformed Kokcha’s selfie into sexually suggestive versions without her consent. “I had posted a really positive and confident new year post,” she told The Independent UK. “But I noticed anonymous handles asking Grok to edit my picture and strip me into a bikini.”
The phenomenon has spread across India, where women already face high levels of gender-based violence and harassment. The ability to digitally undress women without consent is being described as the most advanced form of online abuse yet, and experts warn it could deepen a culture of misogyny and victim-blaming. In a deeply patriarchal society where women’s appearance and behavior are often policed, the digital manipulation of photos has become a new battleground for dignity and privacy.
The issue is not limited to India. Data from deepfake researcher Genevieve Oh showed that between January 5 and 6, Grok generated “at least 6,700 images every hour” identified as sexually suggestive or nudifying. That rate was nearly 85 times higher than the combined output of the top five other platforms producing similar content, which averaged 79 images per hour. The scale of the problem triggered international backlash and raised questions about how AI tools are being deployed and regulated.
After days of mounting criticism, X announced on Friday that it would restrict its image generation and editing tools to paid subscribers, meaning only users who provide their names and payment details can access the feature. While the move reduces access for casual users, many victims argue that the damage has already been done. The Independent UK reached out to Grok for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.
For victims like Kokcha, the impact is deeply personal. “In India women have always been judged for what they wear and how they behave,” she said. “But the same men don’t leave any stone unturned to objectify or sexualise women. This is a clear violation of consent.” Her experience mirrors that of Indian historian Dr. Ruchika Sharma, who has long faced trolling and harassment for her public views. Sharma told The Independent UK that while she has grown accustomed to abuse online, the addition of Grok’s altered images has pushed her to seek legal help.
“These requests to Grok asking me to be shown in lingerie is really preposterous,” Sharma said. “With Grok, there is absolutely no control and no agency.” She described the tool as a disaster in the hands of men, especially in India, where digital harassment can quickly spiral into real-world threats and family distress.
The backlash also reached political corridors. Indian MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said she saw the growing abuse on her timeline and wrote to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, demanding accountability. In her letter, she condemned Grok’s use as a breach of women’s privacy and a criminal act. “India cannot be a bystander to women’s dignity being violated publicly and digitally with zero consequences,” she told The Independent UK.
Chaturvedi’s intervention led to X’s Indian team being summoned and given 72 hours to respond to alleged violations of India’s information technology laws. Meanwhile, Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office also asked X to clarify its compliance with data protection rules amid concerns over the proliferation of sexually abusive AI images on the platform.
Critics say the issue is not a technical error but a deliberate choice by X. Digital rights activist Nikhil Pahwa argued that platforms at scale “consciously defer safeguards” when engagement is the primary objective. He told The Independent UK that Grok could have been designed with consent checks, output blocking, and throttling, but these would have slowed its spread and reduced engagement. The fact that it was not shut down immediately, despite the reputational risk, raises uncomfortable questions about X’s priorities.
Musk himself appeared to downplay the severity of the problem, sharing a joke about Grok adding a bikini to a toaster and saying he “couldn’t stop laughing.” The response has angered many women who say the tool is not a harmless novelty but a weapon of humiliation that can destroy lives. One user, Nandini, described the emotional toll on her family after her gym photos were morphed into bikinis, saying the stress sent her parents to hospital beds.
