The creation and spread of 23,000 AI-generated images of undressed and sexualised children occurred on a major platform.

Omissions

• The 23,000 figure is an estimate produced by a single research organisation (CCDH), not an exact count verified by an official or regulatory body.
• The claim omits the specific time period: the images were generated over an 11-day window in late December 2025 and early January 2026, shortly after Grok introduced a one-click image editing feature — not a cumulative or ongoing total.
• The claim does not specify that the images were generated by Grok, X's integrated AI tool, rather than being uploaded or distributed by X as a platform. Grok's image generation capability is embedded within X, so X 'allowed' it by enabling the feature, but the distinction between platform and AI tool is relevant.
• The total volume of AI-generated sexualised images produced by Grok in the same period was approximately 3 million, of which the 23,000 depicting children represent less than 1% — context that may affect the perceived scale of the child-specific problem relative to the overall issue.

Sources

• PrimaryCenter for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH)Grok generated an estimated 23,000 sexualized images of children. After introducing a one-click editing feature, Elon Musk's AI tool produced an estimated 190 sexualized, user-generated images per minute. A selfie uploaded by a schoolgirl was undressed by Grok, turning a 'before' photo into a sexualised image.
• SecondaryThe GuardianGrok AI generated about 3m sexualised images in less than two weeks, including 23,000 that appear to depict children, according to research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate.
• SecondaryThe GuardianGrok has sparked international outrage by allowing users to digitally strip women and children and put them into provocative poses. The EU launched an inquiry into X over sexually explicit images made by Grok AI.