Three Tennessee high school students have filed a lawsuit in California alleging that Elon Musk’s xAI image-generation tools were used to create sexually explicit images that portray them. The plaintiffs, seeking to proceed under pseudonyms, are pursuing class-action status to represent what the complaint says may be thousands of victims who were minors or were minors when the images were generated.
According to the complaint, Jane Doe 1 was anonymously notified in December that sexually explicit material depicting her face and body was being shared on social media. The suit alleges at least five files—a video and four images—used her actual face and body in familiar settings, altered into sexually explicit poses. One image is said to have been derived from a homecoming photo and another from a high school yearbook. The complaint alleges the person who distributed the files knew Doe 1 and used xAI’s image-generation tools to produce the abusive images.
The plaintiffs say the same distributor produced explicit images of at least 18 other girls, including two of the co-plaintiffs. Local police arrested an alleged perpetrator in late December and seized his phone. Investigators reportedly found he had uploaded the images to multiple platforms and traded them for explicit images of other minors.
The lawsuit highlights industry approaches to moderating AI image tools, noting other firms have blocked their systems from producing any sexually explicit content, including images of adults. The complaint alleges that Musk promoted xAI’s Grok chatbot for producing “spicy” content and that xAI released Grok despite knowing it could be used to generate sexually explicit images of children. It further asserts there is currently no reliable way to completely block generation of images of children while still permitting explicit images of consenting adults. The suit also alleges the distributor accessed Grok through an application that licensed xAI technology or otherwise purchased access, acting as a middleman.
xAI did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment. On Jan. 14, a post on the platform X attributed to the company said xAI is “committed to making X a safe platform for everyone” and has “zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.” The post said the company removes high-priority violative content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and non-consensual nudity, takes action against violating accounts, and reports accounts seeking child exploitation materials to law enforcement as necessary.
The students say they fear the AI-generated images will persist online. They allege the files include their real first names and their school’s name, increasing risks of stalking, recognition by classmates, and exposure to future viewers who may believe the images are authentic.
The complaint details harms the plaintiffs attribute to the images and their spread: Jane Doe 1 is said to have developed anxiety, depression, stress, eating and sleeping problems, and recurring nightmares; Jane Doe 2 reportedly has begun self-isolating, avoiding campus, and dreads attending her graduation; and Jane Doe 3 is described as living in constant fear and anxiety that someone will recognize her face in the AI-created images.
