Outrage as Grok AI assistant used to make inappropriate images of Princess Kako
When the X AI assistant Grok recently started allowing users to manipulate any posted image, it immediately led to criticisms about copyright and consent. Inevitably, X was soon flooded with sexualized images of women, including of minors, based on entirely innocent pictures and selfies.
In Japan, the outrage has focused on several issues: personal artwork (since many independent artists use X), images of cosplayers (again, many freelance cosplayers use the platform), and the sexualization of a princess (who has little control of how her image appears in social media).
Given the size of the porn and gravure industries, to say nothing of the music idol industry that recruits minors, we have not seen much discussion here about safeguards about women’s rights and underage images. However, users quickly began exploiting the new Grok features to make outlandishly sexual versions of images of Princess Kako.
The 31-year-old princess is in the spotlight especially right now following the pubic greeting event, where the Imperial Family greets the public from a balcony in the palace five times on January 2. While Kako often appears at events, this is one of the most high-profile appearances in the calendar, and at least one picture of Kako on the balcony was being used to generate erotic images. (Incidentally, the event attracted a weird stunt this year where a man tried to strip and defecate in front of the Imperial Family.)
We soon saw users utilizing Grok with prompts to undress her. We have seen images of her totally naked a well as dressed as very provocative characters (police officer, elf, office lady, succubus). Obviously, these images all have that cheap, fake look that AI slop has, but the face is clearly that of the iconic Kako of Akishino, albeit with a different kind of body (often with very large breasts).
We have even seen ones where Kako is posing sexually with her sister, Mako, and brother, Hisahito (who is almost certain to become emperor one day). We even saw some images where she is naked and pregnant, or has Polynesian-style tattoos, and even decorated with images of the imperial chrysanthemum crest on her body.
There are obvious issues of consent here — the princess is not agreeing to her image being used like this — not to mention respect, which is especially sensitive in this case. In Japan, explicit criticism of the Imperial Family is rare. Right-wing netizens and tabloids went after the husband and family of Princess Kako’s older sister, Mako, but largely avoided criticizing the former princess herself.
Actual lèse-majesté is not a crime in Japan but the so-called chrysanthemum taboo remains strong, and people have literally been killed for acts perceived to stain the emperor. It is for that reason that we won’t share any of the images we found very easily on the social media platform, though at least one notorious account that was pumping out these images for clicks has been suspended.
It’s important to note that this can’t be blamed on non-Japanese netizens just seeing a picture of a pretty Japanese girl and thinking with their dicks, or even anti-Japanese accounts wanting to offend the Japanese. We have seen both foreign and Japanese accounts using the chatbot to dress and undress Princess Kako.
