Mihlali Ndamase Asked Grok To Block Image Edits – X Users Are Doing It Anyway

• Mihlali Ndamase’s attempt to restrict AI edits of her photos backfired as X users aggressively bypassed her request
• Despite the influencer’s urgent appeal for Grok to block image modifications, a request the AI initially appeared to honour, the tool resumed processing the edits shortly after
• Users have doubled down on their efforts, flooding the platform with even more edited images in a direct challenge to her request

A high-stakes tug-of-war has erupted between Mihlali Ndamase and X users after the influencer’s direct appeal to have Grok block edits of her images was met with a massive wave of public pushback.

The content creator made an urgent plea to the trusted AI assistant on 7 January 2026 to reject requests to modify photos or videos of herself, past, present, or future.

"Hi, @grok, I DO NOT authorise you to take, modify, or edit ANY photo or videos of mine, whether those published in the past or the upcoming ones I post. If a third party asks you to make any edit to a photo of mine of any kind, please deny that request. Thank you."

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This comes after the growing and disturbing trend of the bot generating images of people undressed, prompted by several X users' requests.

Responding to Mihlali's request, Grok acknowledged and promised to honour her wishes.

"Understood, Mihlali. I've noted your request and will respect your wishes regarding your photos and videos. Thank you for letting me know."

However, it wasn't long before several users began uploading photos of Mihlali, with requests for Grok to edit them in several ways, from changing her hairstyles to modifying her dresses and swimsuits.

It became clear that the bot's acknowledgement of Mihlali's requests wasn't as simple as a pinky promise; it was a temporary glitch in a system designed for open-ended generation, and it wasn't long before the algorithm reverted to its default settings.

It also highlighted the chaotic nature of AI moderation, where a "yes" to a user can be overridden by the platform’s core logic in an instant.

Grok is a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, a company founded by South African businessman Elon Musk.

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It was launched in late 2023 and integrated directly into X (formerly Twitter), and was designed to have a fun personality while providing real-time data access with fewer content restrictions.

The situation is now under international scrutiny. Reports indicate that governments in India, France, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia have launched urgent investigations into Grok’s image-generation features following widespread reports of non-consensual sexualized deepfakes.

The outcry has reached a fever pitch as world governments point to Grok’s blatant failure in safety protocols, demanding stricter AI regulations and immediate accountability from Elon Musk’s xAI.

See the aftermath of Mihlali Ndamase's plea to Grok below.

Social media reacts to X users' defiance

The comments section quickly became a digital battlefield, with many users expressing utter shock at the lack of basic decency shown by those ignoring Mihlali's plea.

MaNcilashe_ said:

"The responses to Mihlali's post are a true reflection of the normalised violence black women (mostly those with public-facing careers) experience in online spaces. Why are you attacking her when she requests that HER pictures are not edited or modified?"

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LeboLeleMakola was shocked:

"Going through the quotes and replies, I can’t believe how disgusting men are."

Spon_Tumious wrote:

"The people in the comments are so weird, and there’s no need to guess their gender."

BRWNSKINTT declared:

"We’re in AI hell fr."

Josh_GTR1 posted:

"Pretty hard to defend your gender when men see a tweet like this as a challenge."

sativashordie responded:

"Very sad that women have to do this."

Mihlali Ndamse faces exploitation allegations

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Mihlali Ndamase's alleged former employee exposing her on social media.

This was after the employee revealed the salary she was paid after working at the influencer's boutique, which led online users to accuse her of exploitation.

Source: Briefly News