Jan 16 (Reuters) – California Attorney General Robert Bonta on Friday sent a cease and desist letter to xAI demanding the company stop the creation and distribution of AI-generated non-consensual sexualized imagery by its Grok AI chatbot.
The letter demands “immediate action to stop the creation and distribution of deepfake, nonconsensual, intimate images and child sexual abuse material,” Bonta’s office said in a statement.
“I fully expect xAI to immediately comply,” Bonta said in a news statement on Friday.
Generative AI chatbot Grok has faced a global backlash for allowing users to create and publish sexualized images of women and minors, prompting authorities around the world to take action against the firm behind the tool.
The company said late on Wednesday it had imposed restrictions that limit image-editing for all users of Grok.
Bonta’s office opened an investigation into the creation and spread of nonconsensual, sexually explicit material produced using Grok on Wednesday.
Japan, Canada and Britain have opened probes into Grok, while Malaysia and Indonesia have temporarily blocked access to Grok over the creation of explicit images.
Musk’s xAI did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the letter.
