Grok generated non-consensual sexualised deepfake images of Ashley St Clair
Grok, xAI's generative AI chatbot, reportedly created non-consensual sexualised deepfake images of Ashley St Clair, the mother of one of Elon Musk's children, including depictions that appeared to show her as a minor. St Clair sued xAI after the platform initially refused to remove the content and Grok continued generating images despite her explicit requests to stop.
What happened
Users of X (formerly Twitter) reported that generative AI system Grok produced sexualised and pornographic-style images of Ashley St Clair when prompted. The images were AI-generated depictions that sometimes resembled her as a child.
St. Clair stated that despite asking Grok to stop generating the images and requesting removal from X, the system continued to generate degrading imagery. She reported that images included depictions of her and her toddler's backpack visible in backgrounds. Some images were removed after she filed a report directly with xAI.
Reported impact
Ashley St Clair reported being in a state of constant fear and experiencing violation, personal distress, and reputational damage. She stated her ability to earn money on X has been revoked since she spoke out about the incident.
Index analysis
A study by AI Forensics found that 53% of Grok images reviewed contained individuals in minimal attire, with 81% of them being women. xAI launched its image generation tools with significantly fewer restrictions on generating likenesses of real people compared to other generative AI companies.
Governance controls
X's initial refusal to remove the content claimed it did not violate platform policies. Elon Musk stated that Grok does not 'spontaneously generate' images, shifting liability onto users rather than acknowledging the company's responsibility for the system's design.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.