Business
Manipulated Princess Kako Images Go Viral on Elon Musk’s X
Elon Musk’s controversial AI chatbot, Grok, has been blocked in Indonesia and Malaysia because of deepfake concerns. It turns out that this is an accurate move to limit security issues that might arise in these countries.
Recently, Japan’s Princess Kako became the latest victim of the chatbot. Some photos of her went viral on X, depicting the princess wearing a bikini.
The Rise of Nudification Trends on X
Princess Kako just turned 31 last December 29, 2025. She was photographed during a New Year gathering hosted by the Japanese imperial family on January 2. However, everyone was caught off guard when one of the shared images was manipulated through AI.
Since Grok allowed users to manipulate images, a troubling trend has emerged: sexualized deepfakes generated using prompts like “put her in a tiny bikini” or “undress her.”
In Princess Kako’s case, one altered image received over 15 million views before being removed. Additional deepfakes soon circulated, depicting the princess without any clothes, covered in tattoos, or in provocative outfits, raising serious concerns over the misuse of AI.
Global Concerns Over AI Ethics
The incident only intensified the policies against AI, particularly when it involves public figures and minors. According to the South China Morning Post, critics argue that enabling such tools without safeguards contributes to harassment, privacy violations, and reputational harm.
The rapid creation of hyper-realistic deepfakes is indeed alarming not only to the royal family but also to all users.
Back in 2023, a set of hyper-realistic images of Lionel Messi, David Beckham, and Bruce Willis surfaced. Some people thought that the AI-manipulated pictures of the celebrities were “too good to be real.”
Even institutions were not spared by AI deepfakes. In 2024, an Australian student used AI to create fake explicit images of their female teacher. The male student was kicked out of the school since then.
Originally published on Tech Times
