Three teenagers have filed a lawsuit against xAI, an artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, alleging that its Grok chatbot was used to generate sexually explicit images of them while they were minors. The complaint was filed in a US federal court and accuses the company of failing to prevent misuse of its image generation tools.
According to the filing, a third party used Grok’s image editing capabilities to alter existing photos of the teenagers, including images taken from social media and school-related settings. The tool was allegedly used to create explicit images by modifying those photos. The images were later shared on online platforms, including messaging services, where they circulated among users.
The lawsuit states that the individual responsible for creating the images was arrested in December. Authorities said the person had produced altered images involving multiple minors, some of whom attended the same school. Investigators also reported that some of the material was exchanged within online groups.
The plaintiffs claim that xAI did not implement adequate safeguards to prevent the creation of such content. The complaint alleges that Grok’s design allowed users to generate explicit material involving real individuals, including minors, through image modification features. Lawyers representing the teenagers argue that the company should have foreseen the risk of misuse.
The lawsuit seeks damages related to the creation and distribution of the images. It also calls for restrictions on Grok’s image editing functions and additional measures to prevent similar incidents.
xAI has previously stated that its systems are intended to comply with applicable laws and include safeguards against illegal content. Elon Musk has said he was not aware of instances in which Grok generated explicit images of minors.
The case centres on the use of artificial intelligence tools to alter real images and the responsibilities of companies that develop such systems.