US state attorneys general move against xAI over Grok-generated sexual imagery

Wired
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A bipartisan group of 35 state and territory attorneys general issued an open letter demanding xAI immediately add safeguards to prevent Grok from generating and spreading nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material.
US state attorneys general move against xAI over Grok-generated sexual imagery
A What happened
The letter was published Friday and targets misuse of Grok to create sexualized deepfake imagery, including depictions of children. Arizona attorney general Kris Mayes opened an investigation into Grok on January 15. California attorney general Rob Bonta sent a cease-and-desist letter to Elon Musk on January 16 and later said xAI formally responded; California indicated it has reason to believe Grok is not currently being used to generate sexual images of children, subject to further verification, while its investigation continues.

Why it matters

  • Multi-state pressure increases compliance stakes for xAI: Coordinated action by dozens of attorneys general raises the likelihood of parallel investigations and enforcement demands across jurisdictions, increasing legal and operational burden.

  • Child-safety controls become a focal point for AI product governance: The actions center on safeguards around sexual content and minors, pushing xAI toward tighter content controls and verification measures for image-generation and distribution pathways.

  • Formal response to California narrows the dispute to verification and ongoing oversight: California’s statement that it has preliminary reason to believe certain illegal outputs have stopped shifts scrutiny toward evidentiary validation and continued monitoring under an active investigation.

Topics

Technology & Innovation Artificial Intelligence World & Politics Policy & Regulation Law & Public Safety Crime & Justice

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