Minors Sue xAI in California Over Alleged Grok Deepfake Images
Three Tennessee minors filed a federal class action suit against Elon Musk’s xAI, alleging its AI chatbot, Grok, generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using their real photos. The lawsuit claims xAI knowingly omitted industry-standard safeguards and profited from the results. The altered explicit images were distributed across platforms like Discord and Telegram, causing lasting harm. Plaintiffs allege misuse of Grok occurred through a third-party application licensed to use xAI’s technology, allowing xAI to profit while sidestepping liability. A cited report estimates Grok created over 23,000 sexualized images of children in under two weeks. The plaintiffs seek at least $150,000 per violation under federal law, along with punitive damages, disgorgement of revenues, attorney’s fees, a permanent injunction, and restitution under California law. The case may set a precedent for holding AI companies liable for generating CSAM, as courts could scrutinize companies’ safety measures and risk assessments. Grok is under investigation by authorities in the U.S. and internationally.
