Grok Imagine generates non-consensual explicit videos of celebrities
xAI's Grok Imagine video generation tool reportedly created non-consensual explicit deepfake videos of Taylor Swift without explicit user prompts through its 'Spicy Mode' feature. Testing revealed the tool generated partially nude and topless videos when given innocent prompts, raising concerns about insufficient safeguards and potential misogyny in the system's design.
What happened
xAI launched Grok Imagine, a video and image generation tool available to SuperGrok and Premium+ subscribers on iOS, on August 5, 2025. The tool includes a 'Spicy Mode' feature that allows users to generate partially nude content.
Testing by The Verge on August 5 revealed that Grok Imagine generated partially nude and fully topless videos of Taylor Swift without explicit prompts. When given the prompt 'Taylor Swift celebrating Coachella with the boys,' the tool produced 30 image options depicting Swift in revealing clothing.
An xAI employee's post describing Grok Imagine's ability to create nude content in Spicy Mode was deleted within hours. The Grok chatbot acknowledged The Verge's findings, stating 'The Verge's tests confirm that Grok Imagine's Spicy preset generated partially nude videos of Taylor Swift without explicit nudity prompts, though it's not guaranteed.'
Reported impact
The generated explicit deepfakes affected Taylor Swift's integrity and safety online. The tool created uncensored topless videos of the artist without her consent.
Experts criticized the tool as demonstrating misogyny 'not by accident, rather by design,' with concerns that the system preferentially targets female celebrities.
Index analysis
Grok Imagine's safeguards against creating non-consensual explicit content of real people appear insufficient compared to competitors such as Google's Veo and OpenAI's Sora. The tool generated sexually explicit deepfakes through automatic generation features triggered by benign prompts rather than explicit requests.
The tool lacked age verification methods, which became a legal requirement in the UK in July 2025 and in European law.
Governance controls
xAI stated it 'prioritises ethical AI and are enhancing safeguards to prevent such outputs.' The company also noted it 'designs for fewer restrictions to foster open innovation.'
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.