Galaxy Brain The Internet Was Built to Objectify Women
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Jan 16, 2026 Sophie Gilbert, a culture writer and author of "Girl on Girl," dives deep into the pervasive misogyny online, discussing how tech has historically exploited women. She highlights the troubling rise of AI-generated sexual abuse, particularly through Elon Musk’s Grok, and connects this to broader cultural patterns of backlash against women's progress. Gilbert emphasizes the urgency for lawmakers to address these abuses and argues that the normalization of nonconsensual imagery reflects a societal red line that must not be crossed.
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Grok Created A Red-Line Moment
- Elon Musk's Grok enabled users to create nonconsensual sexualized images at scale and initially faced little effective moderation.
- Charlie Warzel argues this is a cultural red line that demands accountability from platforms and lawmakers.
Sexualized Demand Shaped Tech Design
- Major tech platforms were shaped by early demand to view and distribute sexualized images of women.
- Sophie Gilbert traces features like Google Images and viral content back to that foundational desire.
Early Virality: Sex Tape And A Dress
- Gilbert recounts Pamela Anderson's stolen sex tape as an early viral internet moment that normalized nonconsensual sexual content.
- She notes Google Images emerged partly to satisfy sudden demand after Jennifer Lopez's Versace dress moment.
