California has opened an investigation into Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI over the use of its Grok chatbot to generate nonconsensual sexually explicit images of people, particularly women and children, echoing actions from regulators abroad.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the images have been used to harass people across X, which is owned by xAI. Bonta described recent reports as “shocking” and said his office has zero tolerance for AI-generated nonconsensual intimate images, particularly those involving minors. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on X that he urged the AG to investigate, calling xAI’s actions “vile.”
The probe comes as lawmakers and regulators worldwide move to rein in xAI. U.K. regulators have opened their own inquiry, while European Union officials said they are monitoring whether X’s efforts to restrict Grok-generated sexualized images comply with EU online content laws, according to The Wall Street Journal. X said in a post that it has begun blocking the undressing of real people in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.
In the U.S., the Senate recently passed the Defiance Act, which would allow victims of nonconsensual deepfakes to sue producers and distributors, though platform liability remains unclear under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the paper said.
Bonta cited one analysis that found more than half of 20,000 images generated by xAI during late December depicted people in minimal clothing, with some appearing to be children. Potential victims can file complaints with his office.