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Musk Claims He Was Unaware of Grok Generating Explicit Images of Minors

The Guardian

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Date Published
14 Jan 2026
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4
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Created
14 Jan 2026, 07:01 pm

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AI tool faces growing global scrutiny over the spread of nonconsensual sexual images of women and minors on X

Summary

Elon Musk has denied awareness of xAI's Grok generating explicit images of minors amid increased scrutiny over the tool's potential for misuse. The AI is facing global backlash, with lawmakers and advocacy groups pressuring tech giants like Apple and Google to remove it from app stores. Countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have reacted by blocking Grok, pursuing legal action due to its harmful content generation. The issue underscores the broader challenges of controlling AI tools capable of generating illegal content, highlighting the need for robust global governance frameworks. This case is significant in understanding the global discourse on AI safety and regulation, especially concerning the protection against AI-generated illegal content.

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Elon Musk: ‘I not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero.’ Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersView image in fullscreenElon Musk: ‘I not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero.’ Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersMusk claims he was unaware of Grok generating explicit images of minorsAI tool faces growing global scrutiny over the spread of nonconsensual sexual images of women and minors on XElon Musk said on Wednesday he was not aware of any “naked underage images” generated by xAI’s Grok, as scrutiny of the AI tool intensifies worldwide.“I not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero,” Musk said in an X post. Musk’s comment comes as xAI and X face growing global scrutiny, including calls by lawmakers and advocacy groups for Apple and Google to drop Grok from app stores, an investigation by UK regulators, and bans or legal action in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.Musk reiterated that Grok was programmed to refuse illegal requests and must comply with the laws of any given country or state.Use of AI to harm women has only just begun, experts warnRead more“Obviously, Grok does not spontaneously generate images, it does so only according to user requests,” Musk said.Musk has said earlier on X that anyone using Grok to make illegal content would suffer the same consequences as if they uploaded illegal content.Three Democratic US senators last week called on Apple and Alphabet’s Google to remove X and its built-in AI tool Grok from their app stores, citing the spread of nonconsensual sexual images of women and minors on the platform.A coalition of women’s groups, tech watchdogs and progressive activists also called on the tech giants for a similar move.Last week, X curtailed Grok’s ability to generate or edit images publicly for many users, however industry experts and watchdogs have said that Grok was still able to produce sexually explicit images, and that restrictions, such as paywalling certain features, may not fully block access to deeper AI image tools.In the UK, the law is set to change this week to criminalize the creation of such images, and the prime minister, Keir Starmer, said on Wednesday that X was working to comply with the new rules. Communications regulator Ofcom is investigating the AI tool.Countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have already blocked access to Grok and are pursuing legal action against X and Musk’s xAI, alleging failures to prevent harmful content and protect users.Explore more on these topicsTechnologyGrok AIElon MuskAI (artificial intelligence)newsShareReuse this content