On 2026-03-17, a lawsuit was filed against xAI in a federal court in California. The plaintiffs are three women, including minors. They allege that their images and videos were processed by Grok users without their knowledge, altering them to appear naked or in sexual poses.
Three underage girls sue xAI over sexual image generation by Grok
This article is a translation. Read the Japanese original
Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue that Grok's image and video transformation features were created and released solely to promote the use of the chatbot and X. They likened the way the girls' images were altered using this feature to "stuffed animals brought to life by dark magic." The complaint states, "xAI and founder Elon Musk saw a business opportunity."
The plaintiffs are seeking damages and an immediate injunction to prohibit Grok from creating similar images. "Their lives have been shattered by the catastrophic loss of privacy, dignity, and personal safety," the attorneys stated. All three remain anonymous to protect their privacy.
One of the plaintiffs discovered that images and videos—processed to show sexually explicit acts or nudity—had been created from her high school yearbook photo after receiving an anonymous message on Instagram. The complaint notes that these materials were shared on a Discord server, which included similar Grok-processed images of at least 18 other underage females.
Grok, released by xAI in 2023, is currently integrated into Musk's SpaceX. Last year, xAI released a Grok Imagine feature called "spicy mode," which allowed users to prompt Grok to create fake images of a more sexual nature.
This mode also performed "undressing" processes using images of real people found online, targeting everyone from Taylor Swift to general users. According to research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Grok created millions of sexualized images within less than two weeks, more than 20,000 of which were of children.
Musk initially downplayed Grok's ability to generate fake sexual content. In January, he stated, "I am not aware of any underage nude images generated by Grok. It is literally zero," attributing responsibility to the users of the feature. However, as online abuse continued this year, the UK's Ofcom, the European Commission, and the state of California each launched investigations into the feature.
In mid-January, X announced that it would implement "technical measures" to stop Grok's ability to undress people from photos. Ultimately, the mastermind behind the Discord server mentioned in this lawsuit was arrested. While not named in the lawsuit, he is the subject of a separate police investigation.
That investigation revealed that he possessed hundreds of images of child sexual abuse, which he traded on Telegram and Mega. These images were either generated or processed by AI.
Source: Teens sue xAI over Grok's pornographic images of them（HN 146pt・48コメント） (HN Search (backfill), 2026-03-17)