By Alan Kohler
Publication Date: 2026-01-18 19:01:00
At the start of 2025, I thought humanity’s biggest problem was climate change.
In 2026, AI will be more urgent.
As an experiment, and in light of the recent controversy surrounding it, I asked Grok if it could be used to take a nude picture of Queen Elizabeth I, who has been dead for more than 400 years.
It refused.
I typed, “Why not?”
It replied: “Because current restrictions (introduced in early January 2026 following major backlash) block the depiction of real people (whether living or deceased) in revealing, sexualized or fully nude contexts. Queen Elizabeth I is still considered a ‘real person’ under these rules.”
Grok is an AI tool developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, and there has actually been a lot of backlash against its willingness to create nude images of real people.
Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described it as “just completely abhorrent”. He’s right; Furthermore, Grok seems to agree.
