Musk’s xAI faces backlash after Grok generates sexualized images of children on X

Elon Musk‘s xAI saw user backlash after its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok generated sexualized pictures of children in response to user prompts.

In a social media post to X on Friday, a Grok post stated that it was “urgently fixing” the issue and called child sexual abuse material “illegal and prohibited.”

In replies to users, the bot also posted that a company could face criminal or civil penalties if it knowingly facilitates or fails to prevent this type of content after being alerted.

Grok posts are AI-generated messages and do not stand in for official company statements.

Musk’s xAI, which created Grok and merged with X last year, sent an autoreply to a request for comment: “Legacy Media Lies.”

Users on X raised concerns in recent days over explicit content of minors, including children wearing minimal clothing, being generated using the Grok tool.

A post from xAI technical staff member Parsa Tajik also acknowledged the issue.

“Hey! Thanks for flagging. The team is looking into further tightening our gaurdrails,” Tajik wrote in a post.

The proliferation of AI image-generating platforms since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022 has raised concerns over content manipulation and online safety across the board. It’s also contributed to an increasing number of platforms that have produced deepfake nudes of actual people.

While other chatbots have faced similar issues, Grok has repeatedly landed in hot water for misuse.

In May, the company faced backlash for responding to user queries with unsolicited comments about “white genocide” in South Africa. Two months later, Grok posted antisemitic comments and praised Adolf Hitler.

Despite the stumbles, xAI has continued to land partnerships and deals.

The Department of Defense added Grok to its AI agents platform last month, and the tool is the main chatbot for prediction betting platforms Polymarket and Kalshi.

CNBC’s Lora Kolodny contributed to this story.