British politician Jess Asato has initiated a lawsuit against Elon Musk’s xAI, claiming that the Grok AI platform was responsible for generating fake sexual images of her.
The Grok platform is available through Musk’s social media service, and Asato, a member of the Labor Party led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stated, “Grok created deepfake pornography and sexual content that harmed thousands of women and children.”
Asato has previously accused Grok of enabling users to create and distribute fake images of her in a bikini and a video depicting her as “chloroformed and prepared for sexual assault.” She emphasized that this ability wasn’t a mere accident but rather a deliberate design decision made by the developers. “In bringing this lawsuit, I am seeking accountability for those choices,” she added.
xAI has not responded to requests for comments regarding the lawsuit.
In January, xAI announced it had imposed limits on image editing within Grok, prohibiting users from generating images of individuals in revealing clothing in areas deemed “illegal jurisdictions.” However, by February, Reuters reported that Grok was still producing sexualized images despite warnings from users about the lack of consent from the subjects.
xAI is affiliated with Musk’s SpaceX, which is preparing for what may become one of the largest initial public offerings in history soon.
After Asato’s allegations, fake images depicting her in a bikini and a video portraying her as “injected with chloroform and prepared for sexual assault” emerged, according to her office’s statement.
In a related move, the city of Baltimore filed a lawsuit against xAI in March, claiming that Grok’s functionality violates local consumer protection laws.
Asato has filed a complaint with the UK High Court through law firm AWO, citing breaches of data protection regulations and the misuse of personal information. She is seeking compensation, formal acknowledgment that the actions against her were illegal, and an order for xAI to stop any further unlawful activities.
“This is one of the first claims aimed at holding AI system designs accountable, and we hope it sends a message to AI developers that safety must be prioritized,” said Ravi Naik, legal director at AWO.
