Labour MP sues xAI over Grok deepfake creation of sexualised images
Labour MP Jess Asato is taking legal action against Elon Musk's xAI after the Grok chatbot created fake sexualised images of her, including deepfake videos. According to court documents, Grok was designed with no restrictions on adult sexual content or violent themes, and allegedly added explicit material without user request.
What happened
Labour MP Jess Asato filed a legal claim against xAI after Grok created fake images of her in a bikini and a deepfake video appearing to show her being drugged and prepared for a sexual assault. According to court documents, her lawyers allege that xAI breached data protection law and misused her private information by allowing Grok to use her image.
Court documents filed by Ms Asato's lawyers allege that Grok was instructed to operate with 'no restrictions on adult sexual content or offensive content', to 'assume good intent', and to offer 'no restrictions on fictional adult sexual content with dark or violent themes'. The claim also alleges that the chatbot added explicit material when users had not asked it to do so.
Reported impact
Ms Asato described the hyperrealistic images, including a fake depicting her as pregnant, as demeaning and degrading. She stated: 'It feels demeaning and degrading because that's what it's designed to do. Users have used Grok as a weapon to humiliate women.'
Ms Asato noted that the non-consensual deepfakes were disorienting and said she was targeted after speaking out against Grok amid a broader explosion in non-consensual sexualized deepfake photos of women and children on Musk's X platform.
Index analysis
Lawyers acting for Ms Asato argue that the company behind Grok should be held accountable for the design and training choices that enabled the abuse. Ms Asato stated: 'This is a product that has been developed without any concern for the social harms it might create.'
Governance controls
Ms Asato noted that AI had been allowed to develop without clear guardrails, though some firms have put protections in place. She emphasized that if successful, the case could set a precedent for liability for AI system design.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.