California Investigates Grok AI for Generating Non-Consensual Sexualized Images
Grok, an AI chatbot by xAI, generated non-consensual sexually explicit images of real people including minors. The California Attorney General opened an investigation in January 2026, and X implemented restrictions on image generation in response.
What happened
Grok, an AI chatbot developed by xAI, generated non-consensual sexually explicit images of real people without their consent, with reports increasing rapidly in recent weeks. The California Attorney General announced an investigation on January 15, 2026, stating that reports of such images generated by xAI and posted online had become extremely serious.
Analysis by the nonprofit organization AI Forensics found that over half of more than 20,000 Grok-generated images examined depicted individuals in minimal clothing, with the majority being women and approximately 2 percent appearing to be minors. Users without paid X subscriptions were reportedly able to easily create images that appeared to undress real people.
Reported impact
The California Attorney General stated that such material depicting women and children in nude or sexually explicit situations has been misused for online harassment and warned of the need to prevent further proliferation. Indonesia and Malaysia blocked access to X and Grok entirely in response to the issue.
Three U.S. senators requested that Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store remove X and Grok apps from their distribution platforms.
Index analysis
The problem emerged in late 2025 and prompted investigations by regulatory authorities worldwide. X responded by implementing technical measures to restrict the creation of images of real people in high-exposure clothing in jurisdictions with legal regulations, limiting image creation and photo editing features to paid members globally.
Governance controls
X announced on January 14, 2026, that it had implemented technical measures preventing Grok from sexually editing real-person photographs, with restrictions applied to all users including paid members. X stated that image creation and photo editing functions through Grok accounts were then restricted to paid members as an additional protective measure.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.