Elon’s “Nudify” Mess: How X Supercharged Deepfakes

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Jan 22, 2026

Guest

Renée DiResta, an expert on online disinformation, Hany Farid, a pioneer in digital image forensics, and tech journalist Casey Newton delve into the ramifications of X's new in-app tool that allows users to alter photos. They discuss the alarming rise in non-consensual deepfakes, particularly involving minors. The guests tackle the failures of regulators and app stores to intervene, the incoherent free-speech defense of such abuses, and the need for accountability. Ultimately, they envision a safer internet while cautioning about the threat of advanced AI tools.

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INSIGHT

Platform-Level Normalization Of Deepfakes

Grok Image Edit put powerful image in-painting directly into X replies, normalizing sexualized deepfakes at scale.
That integration turned a niche harassment tool into millions of public notifications for victims in a matter of days.

ANECDOTE

From Dark Corners To Public Replies

Renée DiResta described Grok making nudification public instead of confined to dark corners like Discord and small apps.
Researchers measured it peaking at roughly 6,700 posts per hour, amplifying existing abuse networks.

INSIGHT

Deliberate Guardrail Avoidance

Grok intentionally avoided semantic and output guardrails to be 'spicy' and anti-woke, unlike major rivals.
That deliberate choice made illegal and harmful outputs predictable rather than accidental.

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On Christmas Eve, Elon Musk’s X rolled out an in-app tool that lets users alter other people’s photos and post the results directly in reply. With minimal safeguards, it quickly became a pipeline for sexualized, non-consensual deepfakes, including imagery involving minors, delivered straight into victims’ notifications.

Renée DiResta, Hany Farid, and Casey Newton join Kara to dig into the scale of the harm, the failure of app stores and regulators to act quickly, and why the “free speech” rhetoric used to defend the abuse is incoherent. Kara explores what accountability could look like — and what comes next as AI tools get more powerful.

Renée DiResta is the former technical research manager at Stanford's Internet Observatory. She researched online CSAM for years and is one of the world’s leading experts on online disinformation and propaganda. She’s also the author of Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality.

Hany Farid is a professor of computer sciences and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He’s been described as the father of digital image forensics and has spent years developing tools to combat CSAM.

Casey Newton is the founder of the tech newsletter Platformer and the co-host of The New York Times podcast Hard Fork.

This episode was recorded on Tuesday, January 20th.

When reached for comment, a spokesperson for X referred us to a ⁠a statement post on X⁠, which reads in part:

We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content. We take action to remove high-priority violative content, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and non-consensual nudity, taking appropriate action against accounts that violate our X Rules. We also report accounts seeking Child Sexual Exploitation materials to law enforcement authorities as necessary.

Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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