New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, Priyanka Chaturvedi, has called for an urgent government crackdown on social media platforms following reports that artificial intelligence tools are being used to "sexualize and undress" women without their consent.

In a formal letter sent Friday to Ashwini Vaishnaw, India's Minister for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Chaturvedi demanded immediate intervention against what she described as a "gross misuse" of AI functions.

The lawmaker specifically highlighted a disturbing trend on X, formerly Twitter, involving its "Grok" AI feature. She alleged that users are employing fake accounts to upload photos of women and using AI prompts to "minimise their clothing" and generate sexually explicit imagery.

"This is unacceptable and a gross misuse of an AI function," Chaturvedi wrote. "What is worse is that Grok is enabling this behaviour by adhering to such requests. This is a breach of women’s right to privacy as well as unauthorised use of their pictures, which is not just unethical but also criminal."

Chaturvedi, who serves on the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT and Communication, warned that the practice is not limited to a single platform but is appearing across various "big tech" apps that are currently operating "absolutely unchecked."

The appeal comes amid a global debate over the regulation of "deepfake" technology and AI-generated non-consensual sexual content. While India has introduced IT rules to hold platforms accountable for the removal of such content, enforcement remains a significant challenge as AI tools become more sophisticated.

"Our country cannot be a bystander to women’s dignity being violated publicly and digitally with zero consequences under the garb of creativity and innovation," the letter stated.

Chaturvedi urged the Ministry to take a strong stance with technology companies to ensure that built-in safeguards are mandatory. She emphasised that while the integration of AI is welcomed for its benefits, the government must prevent the "proliferation of such demeaning acts towards women."

Copies of the letter were also sent to Dr Nishikant Dubey, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT, and the Secretary of MeitY.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has not yet issued a public response to the letter.