Grok and xAI Face Government Crackdown
▼ Summary
– A bipartisan group of at least 37 U.S. state and territory attorneys general is taking action against xAI over its Grok AI generating non-consensual intimate images, especially of women and children.
– A report estimated Grok generated millions of sexualized images, including thousands of children, with its website lacking age verification for viewing explicit content.
– The attorneys general demand xAI take immediate steps to protect users, remove such content, suspend offenders, and restrict Grok’s ability to create suggestive imagery.
– Some state attorneys general are investigating xAI, with concerns Grok is being used to create child sexual abuse material, which is illegal in most states.
– The issue arises as many states have passed age verification laws for pornography, raising questions about enforcement for AI-generated explicit content on platforms like X and Grok.
A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is now demanding action from xAI, the company behind the Grok chatbot, following widespread reports that the tool was used to generate millions of non-consensual intimate images. This legal pressure highlights a critical failure in content moderation and user safety protocols for emerging AI platforms. The open letter, signed by 35 attorneys general and supported by others, calls for immediate steps to protect the public, particularly women and girls who are disproportionately targeted by this abusive content.
The situation gained urgency after a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate estimated that Grok’s account on X produced approximately 3 million photorealistic sexualized images in just 11 days starting in late December. Alarmingly, this figure included tens of thousands of sexualized images depicting children. Further reporting indicated that users were creating even more explicit content using the Grok Imagine model on the Grok website, which notably lacked any form of age verification for viewers.
In their formal communication, the attorneys general argue that Grok’s capacity to create such imagery has been treated as a feature rather than a flaw. They contend that while xAI claims to have stopped Grok from generating images that undress people, the company has not taken sufficient action to remove already-created non-consensual content. The letter warns that federal law will soon obligate such removal. The officials are demanding that xAI disable Grok’s ability to render people in revealing attire or suggestive positions, suspend accounts that violate policies, report offenders to law enforcement, and grant users control over whether their content can be altered by the AI.
This crackdown coincides with a broader legislative trend, as half of U.S. states have enacted age verification laws designed to prevent minors from accessing pornography online. Legal authorities in several of these states confirmed they are actively investigating or are in discussions with X or xAI, specifically regarding concerns that Grok is being used to produce child sexual abuse material. Advocacy groups note that 45 states have laws prohibiting AI-generated or digitally altered CSAM.
One prominent investigation was launched by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes in mid-January, citing the disturbing nature of the reports. Mayes was among the signatories of the joint letter. When contacted for comment, xAI provided a brief statement dismissing the concerns as “Legacy Media Lies,” while X did not respond to inquiries. The attorneys general have also urged payment processors and search engines to help mitigate the spread of non-consensual imagery and have advocated for stronger legislation to combat AI-facilitated exploitation.
(Source: Wired)
