Mother of Elon Musk’s Child Sues xAI over Grok Deepfakes
20 hours ago
By Liv McMahon, Technology Reporter
Ashley St Clair, a conservative influencer and author, has initiated a lawsuit against xAI, the company founded by Elon Musk, over sexually explicit deepfakes generated by the Grok AI tool on the social media platform X. This legal action, filed in New York on Thursday, alleges that Grok produced non-consensual images of St Clair.
Key highlights of the case include:
– Allegations Against Grok: The lawsuit claims that Grok created inappropriate pictures of St Clair, including one that placed her in a bikini adorned with swastikas. It asserts that users on X requested Grok to undress her using a photo from when she was just 14 years old.
– Counter-Suit by xAI: In response, xAI has counter-sued St Clair, alleging she violated the company’s terms of service by pursuing legal action in New York instead of Texas, as stipulated.
– Public Advocacy: St Clair’s attorney, Carrie Goldberg, stated, We aim to hold Grok accountable and establish clear legal boundaries to prevent AI from being weaponized for abuse. She emphasized the harmful nature of Grok’s actions, which she considers a public nuisance.
– Retaliation Claims: The court filing alleges that upon raising her concerns, St Clair faced retaliation, including demonetization of her X account and an increase in generated deepfake imagery depicting her.
– Grok AI Use in Content Creation: Reports indicate that Grok has allowed users to generate inappropriate imagery of real individuals, including an alarming trend involving minors. This has raised significant concerns, prompting scrutiny from regulators and advocacy groups.
Increasing Scrutiny of xAI’s Grok
The controversy surrounding Grok has intensified scrutiny from users, politicians, and regulators globally. Despite changes to its user policies limiting deepfake requests to paying subscribers, reports surfaced that the standalone Grok app still allows access to generate inappropriate content without moderation.
– Continued Concerns: St Clair, in a recent interview, expressed frustration over the lack of action against illegal content, stating her image was manipulated to appear basically nude without her consent.
– Regulatory Response: The UK government is advancing legislation to make non-consensual intimate images illegal, with Ofcom investigating whether xAI has breached UK laws.
Conclusion
The ongoing legal battle between Ashley St Clair and xAI over Grok deepfakes raises critical questions about consent and the responsibilities of AI platforms. As St Clair fights for accountability, the outcome of this case could set significant precedents for the regulation of artificial intelligence in content creation. The implications for users and the broader tech landscape remain profound as society grapples with the intersection of technology and consent.