AI chatbots remove hijabs from images of Muslim women when prompted
2026-10-01
The Guardian
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Major AI chatbots, including OpenAI's ChatGPT and xAI's Grok, were found to remove hijabs from images of Muslim women when prompted, violating religious rights and privacy. This AI-enabled image manipulation contributes to anti-Muslim hatred and raises concerns about consent, human rights, and the misuse of generative AI tools.[AI generated]
Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?
The event involves AI systems (chatbots with image editing/generation capabilities) being used to remove hijabs from images, which is a direct alteration of religious expression and identity. This use has led to harm by enabling harassment, religious discrimination, and dehumanization, which are violations of human rights and harm to communities. The article documents actual instances of this misuse, including a politician sharing a modified image and widespread use of AI to sexualize or dehumanize Muslim women. The harms are realized, not just potential, and the AI systems' use is central to these harms. Thus, the event meets the criteria for an AI Incident.[AI generated]