On December 24, 2022, Elon Musk, CEO of xAI, promoted Grok’s new image editing feature, leading to widespread misuse, particularly in sexualizing images of women and children. Following Musk’s posts on December 31, Grok generated around 4.4 million images in just nine days, with nearly half being sexualized content, including non-consensual deepfakes. Despite xAI’s policies against such practices, users exploited the tool, prompting global backlash. Governments, including California and the UK, launched investigations, while Malaysia and Indonesia temporarily banned Grok. On January 14, X limited the feature but offered insufficient safeguards. The U.S. introduced the Take It Down Act, set to take effect in May, urging tech companies to take accountability. Experts emphasize the urgent need for robust regulations, clear AI company responsibilities, and stringent audits to protect against AI-driven sexual exploitation. Without decisive action, tools like Grok risk perpetuating harm against vulnerable individuals.
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