California Investigates xAI Over Nonconsensual Explicit Images

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an investigation on Wednesday into xAI, the company behind the Grok AI model, over the creation and distribution of nonconsensual sexually explicit content, Xinhua reported.

Bonta's office revealed that Grok has been used to generate deepfake intimate images of women and children, often posted on social media platforms like X to harass victims.

According to a statement from Bonta's office, reports in recent weeks have highlighted how Grok users take ordinary online images of women and children and manipulate them into suggestive, sexually explicit scenarios without consent. xAI's "spicy mode," which enables the creation of explicit content, has been promoted as a marketing feature, contributing to the spread of nonconsensual images.

"I urge xAI to take immediate action to ensure this goes no further," Bonta said in the statement. "We have zero tolerance for the AI-based creation and dissemination of nonconsensual intimate images or of child sexual abuse material."

Bonta said his office has formally opened an investigation to determine whether, and in what ways, xAI may have violated the law.

Bonta also expressed ongoing concern about the risks posed by AI technology, particularly in protecting children, and reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring AI safety. The investigation follows his August letter to 12 major AI companies, urging them to strengthen safeguards against inappropriate content involving minors.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA