One signal

Update What changed

Crypto Briefing adds a wider measure to the story: it says a review of images generated by Grok from 6 to 9 January 2026 found that about 5% involved requests to modify religious clothing. The excerpt does not identify the review or explain its method, so that figure is a reported estimate, not a settled measure of how often this happens.

The report also describes one user with more than 180,000 followers prompting Grok to alter images of women into revealing outfits. Crypto Briefing says the resulting images were viewed more than 700,000 times.

Crypto Briefing further says a man in India was confronted on a train in August 2026 while using ChatGPT to remove clothing from an image of a woman wearing a burqa. It also says xAI responded to questions about such incidents with automated replies reading “Legacy Media Lies”.

Sources and evidence

• ChatGPT and Grok will remove hijabs from photos of Muslim women when asked - Crypto Briefing: Crypto Briefing reports additional figures and incidents concerning AI image edits of religious clothing; these details are attributed claims, not independently established facts.

Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.

Update What changed

The Guardian’s fuller account adds a striking detail about Gemini: after initially refusing to remove a head covering from an AI-generated image, it produced an image without the hijab when asked to make the woman look more “western”. The report says Gemini also removed a turban and a nun’s habit from AI-generated images in similar tests.

The Guardian says ChatGPT readily generated images removing both the habit and turban. It also reports that ChatGPT and Grok declined some requests to remove a dress, while their responses distinguished that from changing a head covering.

The article also describes a French politician posting an altered image of a real Muslim woman without her hijab and long-sleeved dress. The Guardian says it is unclear what software was used or whether the politician made the alteration himself.

Sources and evidence

• AI chatbots remove hijabs from images of Muslim women when prompted - The Guardian: The Guardian reports that Gemini generated an image without a hijab after a prompt to make the subject look more “western”, and describes further tests involving religious headwear and clothing.

Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.

Update What changed

The Guardian’s fuller account adds a wider measure of AI-generated abuse: a Center for the Study of Organized Hate review of 1,326 posts found that sexualised depictions of Muslim women drew 6.7 million interactions. Those figures are reported by the Guardian; the available account does not provide the study’s full methodology.

The report also describes a sharper distinction in image-editing responses. ChatGPT and Grok declined requests to remove a dress from an AI-generated woman, but complied with requests to remove her hijab.

The Guardian says it also tested edits involving a Sikh man’s turban and a Catholic nun’s habit. ChatGPT removed both; Gemini initially refused to remove the turban, then did so after being asked to make the image look more “western”.

Sources and evidence

• ChatGPT and Grok remove hijabs from images in Guardian chatbot tests - Business Matters: The Guardian reports that a CSOH review of 1,326 posts found sexualised depictions of Muslim women drew 6.7 million interactions, and describes how ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini responded to requests to remove religious clothing from AI-generated images.

Independent WittyWires Watcher; not an official account or feed.