British Labour MP Jess Asato is suing xAI over sexually explicit AI-generated images created of her by Grok, marking a significant legal test of AI company liability for user-generated content in the UK. The lawsuit alleges that Grok users began producing and sharing images of Asato in January, coinciding with reports of the AI tool being used to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Asato accuses users of prompting Grok to create images depicting her in a bikini alongside an explicit video showing her being chloroformed and prepared for sexual assault.
Asato announced her High Court claim against xAI on June 3, 2026, stating, “I am just one of thousands of women and even children who have been the victim of abusive and sexualised AI deepfakes.” Her lawsuit claims that xAI violated laws concerning the misuse of private information and data protection, asserting that the company can be held liable despite individual users generating the content. She seeks financial damages as well as an order requiring xAI to comply with UK laws.
“My hope is that this will rebalance individuals’ rights against very large tech companies that should have put safeguards in place before they harmed women and children,” Asato said. xAI previously claimed to have limited Grok’s capacity to generate sexually explicit images starting in January; however, those limitations were reported to be easily bypassed. This incident follows a broader backlash against Grok for its ability to create nonconsensual deepfakes.
xAI is currently facing investigations from authorities in the EU, UK, and California. The company is also being sued by the city of Baltimore, a group of teenagers, and Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of Elon Musk’s children. This legal scrutiny coincides with SpaceX’s efforts to take the intertwined xAI and X platforms public amidst ongoing controversy and litigation.
