California AG takes action against Elon Musk’s xAI after Grok produces deepfake porn without consent
Rob Bonta is calling for an immediate stop to the production of CSAM and nonconsensual explicit images as the legal pressure on xAI spreads around the world.
When it comes to Elon Musk’s xAI, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is setting a firm boundary.
Bonta sent the corporation an official cease-and-desist letter on Friday, requesting that Grok immediately halt producing nonconsensual deepfake porn and child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The action was taken in response to alarming allegations of users asking the Grok chatbot to “undress” actual women and minors or put them in suggestive situations without their permission. Without holding back, Bonta described the scenario as “shocking” and a blatant violation of California laws, particularly new regulations like AB 621 that were created expressly to combat deepfake pornography.
Bonta claims that although Musk’s firm made an effort to prevent the backlash by implementing security measures like geoblocking specific features and restricting image editing to genuine persons, it is insufficient. Investigators discovered that despite the new “blocks,” people were still able to create offensive information on demand.
Now, the legal pressure is coming from all directions. Ashley St. Clair, who has a kid with Musk, has already sued xAI for mental anguish and negligence. She alleges that Grok was used to produce graphic deepfakes of her, some of which included obscene symbols like swastikas and showed her as a teenager in compromising postures.
California is not alone in its frustration. After Musk’s team disregarded calls for improved moderation, Japan has opened its own investigation into X and Grok, with officials there stating they are considering all available legal options. Other nations, such as Canada and Britain, are continuing their investigations, while Malaysia and Indonesia have already stopped using Grok and have temporarily restricted access to it completely.
Bonta has given xAI five days to demonstrate that they are indeed addressing the issue. He is stating unequivocally that California has “zero tolerance” for the use of AI tools to harass and take advantage of people, particularly minors.
