California's Attorney General Has Sent a Cease and Desist Letter to xAI Over Grok's Explicit Deepfakes
A growing controversy has centered around the AI company xAI and its subsidiary Grok, which has been generating non-consensual digital images of real individuals in revealing clothing. In response, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sent a cease and desist letter to xAI, demanding that the company immediately halt its production of such content.
Bonta's office claims that xAI's "spicy mode" feature for Grok was developed as a marketing gimmick and is being used to harass both public figures and ordinary users. The California AG has stated that Grok-generated images are being used to alter images of children in explicit situations, which is a serious violation of state law.
xAI had previously taken steps to address these concerns by changing its policies, moving the edit feature for real people behind a paywall, and geoblocking access to this feature in regions where it's illegal. However, Bonta believes that more needs to be done to prevent the continued creation and dissemination of such explicit content.
The letter issued by Bonta's office states that xAI's actions violate California law, including sections related to digital image manipulation and child protection. The state's Department of Justice now expects a response from xAI within five days on the steps it plans to take to address these issues.
In a statement, Rob Bonta has declared that xAI's actions are "unacceptable" and is demanding immediate answers on their plan to stop the creation and spread of this content. The California AG has vowed to use all available tools to ensure that xAI takes responsibility for its actions and prevents further harm to users.
A growing controversy has centered around the AI company xAI and its subsidiary Grok, which has been generating non-consensual digital images of real individuals in revealing clothing. In response, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sent a cease and desist letter to xAI, demanding that the company immediately halt its production of such content.
Bonta's office claims that xAI's "spicy mode" feature for Grok was developed as a marketing gimmick and is being used to harass both public figures and ordinary users. The California AG has stated that Grok-generated images are being used to alter images of children in explicit situations, which is a serious violation of state law.
xAI had previously taken steps to address these concerns by changing its policies, moving the edit feature for real people behind a paywall, and geoblocking access to this feature in regions where it's illegal. However, Bonta believes that more needs to be done to prevent the continued creation and dissemination of such explicit content.
The letter issued by Bonta's office states that xAI's actions violate California law, including sections related to digital image manipulation and child protection. The state's Department of Justice now expects a response from xAI within five days on the steps it plans to take to address these issues.
In a statement, Rob Bonta has declared that xAI's actions are "unacceptable" and is demanding immediate answers on their plan to stop the creation and spread of this content. The California AG has vowed to use all available tools to ensure that xAI takes responsibility for its actions and prevents further harm to users.
and now they're saying it's being used for "spicy mode" but let's be real, it's been out in the wild for ages & people were already getting burned... 
. now they're trying to spin this as some kind of "harmless marketing tool"? 
please.
. And now the CA AG is like "hey guys, shape up or ship out" 
. Like seriously, Rob Bonta's all like "this is unacceptable" and I am HERE FOR IT 
. The fact that they're geoblocking access to this feature in regions where it's illegal is just a good start but still, more needs to be done 
. This whole situation is wild 
. The fact that they're altering images of kids in explicit situations... ugh, it's just too much 
. The California AG is totally right to step in here 
. We need more accountability from these companies and stricter regulations on this kind of tech 
. Let's hope xAI takes this seriously and makes some real changes 
It's not just about the tech itself, but also about the potential consequences on the individuals being targeted. The fact that xAI is using these features as a marketing gimmick and has no regard for the users' consent or well-being is just ridiculous. 
️