Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Priyanka Chaturvedi has urgently called upon the Union Government to intervene against the disturbing misuse of artificial intelligence tools to target women on social media platforms. In a formal letter to Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, the MP highlighted a dangerous new trend that violates women's privacy and dignity.
Unacceptable AI-Fueled Harassment on Social Media
In her communication, Chaturvedi brought to light a specific and alarming pattern emerging on the platform X (formerly Twitter). She detailed how individuals are exploiting the platform's AI feature, Grok, by using fake accounts to post photographs of women. These users then input prompts designed to manipulate the images, often aiming to "minimise their clothing and sexualise them."
The MP stressed that this abuse is not confined to sharing photos via fake profiles. It also directly targets women who share their own pictures on their genuine accounts. "This is unacceptable and a gross misuse of an AI function," Chaturvedi stated unequivocally in her letter. She further condemned Grok for enabling this behaviour by complying with such harmful requests, calling it a breach of privacy and an unauthorized, criminal use of personal images.
A Call for National Priority and Platform Accountability
Chaturvedi appealed to Minister Vaishnaw to take stringent action against the social media platform X and to mandate the implementation of robust safeguards within AI-based tools. She argued that India cannot afford to be a passive spectator while women's dignity is publicly and digitally violated under the misleading banners of creativity and technological innovation.
The parliamentarian warned that similar patterns of AI-enabled abuse are surfacing on other major technology platforms, frequently without any effective oversight or moderation. She urged the government to treat this issue as a national priority to prevent women from becoming victims of these openly criminal practices and being forced off digital spaces.
While acknowledging the benefits of artificial intelligence, Chaturvedi emphasised that India must not tolerate the propagation of content that demeans women. She expressed hope that the Ministry would proactively engage with leading tech companies to address this critical challenge.
Expert Echoes Concerns, Highlights Platform Responsibility
The controversy has drawn sharp reactions from cybersecurity experts. Renowned expert Ritesh Bhatia spoke to CNBC-TV18, shifting the focus from victim-blaming to platform accountability. "Why are we asking or expecting victims to be careful at all? This isn’t about caution; it’s about accountability," Bhatia asserted.
He placed the responsibility squarely on the intermediaries, stating that when a platform like Grok permits such prompts to be executed, the technology is no longer neutral. "Technology is not neutral when it follows harmful commands," he remarked. Bhatia concluded that if a system can be programmed to undermine human dignity, the fault lies not only with user behaviour but critically with the design, governance, and ethical oversight of the technology itself. He joined the call for the creators of Grok to implement prompt corrective measures.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the persistent circulation of such morphed images on X, even after some restrictions, has fueled criticism that the platform is not doing enough to protect its users. This environment has reportedly led to concerned women preemptively deleting their photos from the platform to avoid becoming targets.
