UK Lawmaker Sues Elon Musk’s xAI For Creating Fake Sexualized Images Of Her
LONDON, June 3 (Reuters) – British MP Jess Asato has sued Elon Musk’s xAI, saying on Wednesday the Grok AI platform was used to create fake sexualised images of him.
Grok, distributed through Musk’s social media platform
“Grok created deepfake pornography and sexualized content that harmed thousands of women and children,” Asato, a member of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labor Party, said in a statement.
“The ability is not an accident or misuse, but a design choice by its creators. In bringing this case, I take responsibility for those choices.”
xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In mid-January, xAI said it was restricting image editing on Grok, preventing users from creating images of people revealing their clothing “in regions where it is illegal.”
In early February, Reuters found that even after the new restrictions, Grok was still creating sexualized images of people even when users explicitly warned that people had not consented.
Leon Neal via Getty Images
xAI is part of Musk’s rocket and space exploration company SpaceX and is expected to launch the largest IPO in history later this month.
A statement from Asato’s office said that after Grok was reprimanded in January, users created and shared fake images showing her in a bikini and a video showing her being “subjected to chloroform and prepared for sexual assault.”
In March, Baltimore City sued xAI, claiming Grok’s ability to create fake sexualized images violated the city’s consumer protection law.
Law firm AWO said Asato filed a lawsuit with the High Court in the UK for breaches of data protection law and misuse of his private information. He is seeking remedies including compensation, a formal acknowledgment that what happened to him was illegal, and an order requiring xAI to cease further illegality.
“This is one of the first claims to test liability for the design of an AI system, and we hope it will make clear to AI developers that security cannot be an afterthought,” said AWO legal director Ravi Naik.
(Reporting by William James; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
