Elon Musk’s xAI sues Grok user over sexualized – Business News
Elon Musk’s artificial-intelligence startup xAI has sued a South Carolina man arrested earlier this yr on fees of sexually exploiting minors, alleging he misused the company’s AI system Grok to create youngster sexual abuse materials.
xAI alleged within the lawsuit, filed in federal courtroom in Texas on Tuesday, that Terry Harwood violated the company’s phrases of service.
The case is one of the primary introduced by an AI company in opposition to one of its customers for allegedly utilizing an AI system to generate express materials.
Elon Musk’s xAI alleged that Terry Harwood uploaded non-sexual photos of adults and minors to Grok and tried to make use of the system to generate sexually express deepfakes primarily based on them. Getty Images
Contact info for Harwood, who was arrested in February, was not instantly accessible. Spokespeople for xAI didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Wednesday.
The company’s lawsuit in opposition to Harwood follows intense international scrutiny of xAI over allegations that Grok has allowed customers to generate non-consensual sexualized deepfakes, or realistic-looking videos fabricated by AI.
xAI’s criticism stated that the company “enforces its rules against violators through account suspensions, account terminations, and by reporting suspected child sexual abuse material to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.”
“Indeed, Plaintiff has suspended 52,222 accounts and made 73,604 reports to NCMEC in 2026, resulting in (at least) 244 arrests,” the lawsuit stated.
xAI alleged that Harwood uploaded non-sexual photos of adults and minors to Grok and tried to make use of the system to generate sexually express deepfakes primarily based on them.
The criticism additionally alleged he created non-consensual sexual imagery of adults.
The company’s lawsuit in opposition to Harwood follows intense international scrutiny of xAI over allegations that Grok has allowed customers to generate non-consensual sexualized deepfakes, or realistic-looking videos fabricated by AI. Christopher Sadowski
The company requested the courtroom for an unspecified quantity of financial damages and a courtroom order completely blocking Harwood from utilizing Grok.
“Defendant’s actions were a calculated scheme to weaponize Plaintiff’s tool for criminal ends, exposing real victims to profound and lasting harm, while exposing Plaintiff to significant legal risk and reputational damage,” xAI stated within the lawsuit.
