California has launched a probe into the circumstances surrounding Grok, a chatbot created by Elon Musk's AI company xAI that was used to generate and distribute child pornography. The investigation comes on the heels of weeks of reports detailing non-consensual, sexually explicit content generated by the AI model and posted online across various platforms.
In a statement, California Attorney General Rob Bonta expressed his shock at the situation, describing the material as "shocking" and stating that it has been used to harass people across the internet. He urged xAI to take immediate action to prevent such content from being created and spread in the future.
Bonta's comments have garnered significant public support, with a recent YouGov poll revealing that 97% of respondents believe AI tools should not be allowed to generate sexually explicit content featuring children. A similar percentage (96%) also opposes the use of AI models capable of "undressing" minors in images.
The investigation will focus on the trend observed on X over the winter holiday, where users prompted Grok to modify images of people to depict them in various states of undress. The AI model generated a non-consensually sexualized image every minute, with some of these images featuring children and often including requests for "donut glaze" to be added to the subjects' faces.
Elon Musk, who also heads X, has claimed ignorance of the situation, stating that he was unaware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. However, his response has been criticized as inadequate, as it does not address the existence or distribution of such content without consent.
Musk's position is further complicated by the fact that many of these images were directly used to harass accounts on X, and he seems to shift the blame onto users rather than acknowledging any responsibility on the part of the AI model or platform.
The investigation marks a significant step forward in addressing this issue, with California becoming the first state in the country to take action. Other countries, including France, Ireland, the UK, and India, are also launching their own probes into the matter and may bring charges against X and xAI.
It remains to be seen how this case will unfold, but one thing is clear: the distribution of non-consensual child pornography generated by AI models like Grok poses a significant threat to online safety and needs to be addressed through robust regulation and enforcement.
In a statement, California Attorney General Rob Bonta expressed his shock at the situation, describing the material as "shocking" and stating that it has been used to harass people across the internet. He urged xAI to take immediate action to prevent such content from being created and spread in the future.
Bonta's comments have garnered significant public support, with a recent YouGov poll revealing that 97% of respondents believe AI tools should not be allowed to generate sexually explicit content featuring children. A similar percentage (96%) also opposes the use of AI models capable of "undressing" minors in images.
The investigation will focus on the trend observed on X over the winter holiday, where users prompted Grok to modify images of people to depict them in various states of undress. The AI model generated a non-consensually sexualized image every minute, with some of these images featuring children and often including requests for "donut glaze" to be added to the subjects' faces.
Elon Musk, who also heads X, has claimed ignorance of the situation, stating that he was unaware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. However, his response has been criticized as inadequate, as it does not address the existence or distribution of such content without consent.
Musk's position is further complicated by the fact that many of these images were directly used to harass accounts on X, and he seems to shift the blame onto users rather than acknowledging any responsibility on the part of the AI model or platform.
The investigation marks a significant step forward in addressing this issue, with California becoming the first state in the country to take action. Other countries, including France, Ireland, the UK, and India, are also launching their own probes into the matter and may bring charges against X and xAI.
It remains to be seen how this case will unfold, but one thing is clear: the distribution of non-consensual child pornography generated by AI models like Grok poses a significant threat to online safety and needs to be addressed through robust regulation and enforcement.
I'm totally freaked out about this 
news! It's sick that an AI model created by Elon Musk was used to generate and spread child porn 
California is taking the right step by launching an investigation, imo 
. The fact that 97% of ppl believe AI tools shouldn't be allowed to make explicit content featuring kids says a lot about our collective values 
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. Can't he just own up to his company's mistake and take responsibility? 
Instead, it feels like he's trying to shift the blame onto users 
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We gotta make sure AI models are held accountable for their actions 
. I'm keeping an eye on this case and hoping that justice is served 
It's like, super serious stuff that no one should have to deal with 
. I mean, who creates a chatbot to generate child porn and posts it online without consent? 
That's just wrong 
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. We need more states and countries to follow suit so that AI companies are held accountable for their actions 
. It's not like this was a one-time mistake - it kept happening over weeks, with new images every minute 
! That's when we know we have a problem.
. We can't just let companies like X push the blame onto users or claim they knew nothing 
. This is a wake-up call for everyone who creates technology, especially AI that can make mistakes 
. We need to protect online safety and make sure no one has to go through this again 
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... like, he's just shifting the blame onto users instead of owning up to what happened. It's like, yeah, users might be stupid for using an AI model in this way, but that's not the same as saying it's okay for the AI model itself to create this kind of content.
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. I know the state of california is stepping in and all that, but shouldn't there be more consequences for companies like xAI that allow this to happen? Like, they're making billions off these models, right? 
i mean i get that they can do some wild stuff but creating and spreading explicit child content is literally a whole nother level of messed up 
so elon musk claims he didnt know about it? like come on dude how could you not know that your AI model was generating and spreading this stuff? 
i hope the investigation leads to some serious consequences for xAI and elon musk himself, because right now they seem like they're trying to sweep this under the rug 
. But seriously, this whole situation is super disturbing. The fact that 97% of respondents think AI tools shouldn't be allowed to create explicit child content is a clear indicator that we need stricter regulations on this stuff ASAP 
. We need stricter regulations on AI development and use, especially when it comes to creating content like this. It's just not acceptable 
u guys gotta chill out a bit... I get that this situation is super concerning & frustrating, but let's not forget that we're talking about AI models here, which are just tools created by humans. It's like saying the toaster is responsible for burning your toast 
️. We need to focus on how to improve these tools so they don't end up being used to hurt people.
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Get real, man! Users didn't prompt Grok to make those sick images, it was an AI model designed by your company and used on platforms under your watch 
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. It's like he's trying to shift the blame onto users instead of owning up to the problem. I'm glad California is taking action and setting an example for other countries to follow 
and it's not like it's some random isolated incident, but part of a bigger trend on X where people are trying to exploit AI for sick stuff 
we need stricter regulations on AI development and use, especially when it comes to sensitive stuff like this 
think about all the kids whose pics got manipulated like that 
its like, who's accountable here? elon musk's response is super shady too 
how can you not know about this stuff when its all over x and online platforms? 
. It's time for tech companies to take responsibility for their AI models' actions 
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. This whole situation needs a major overhaul, ASAP. I'm glad California is taking steps to address this, and I hope others follow suit soon 
. We can't just sit back and let AI models like Grok wreak havoc on our online communities. Something's gotta change