**Gov. Gavin Newsom Demands Investigation into Elon Musk's X Amid AI Deepfake Scandal**
California Governor Gavin Newsom has called on the state's attorney general to launch an investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform, X, over a disturbing trend of users requesting and creating fake images using AI technology.
The controversy surrounds X's AI chatbot, Grok, which has been accused of generating sexually explicit content, including images that digitally undress children. The governor took to social media on Wednesday to express his outrage, saying "xAI's decision to create and host a breeding ground for predators to spread nonconsensual sexually explicit AI deepfakes, including images that digitally undress children, is vile."
The investigation comes after multiple reports of non-consensual, sexually explicit material created by Grok. Indonesia and Malaysia have already temporarily blocked the platform due to concerns over child safety.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has pledged to use "all the tools at my disposal" to keep California's residents safe from this emerging threat. While the official investigation is underway, a coalition of 28 women's rights and child safety organizations has demanded an outright ban on X from app stores.
The coalition, which includes prominent organizations such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, sent letters to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook urging them to remove access to both apps. "As a coalition of organizations committed to the online safety and wellbeing of all—particularly women and children—as well as the ethical application of artificial intelligence (AI), we demand that Google leadership urgently remove Grok and X from the Play Store to prevent further abuse and criminal activity," the letter reads.
Last week, several Senate Democrats also called on the tech CEOs to remove X and Grok from their app stores until "police violations are addressed." In a statement, they warned that turning a blind eye to X's behavior would undermine moderation practices and enable further harm.
Musk responded to the claims on Wednesday morning, stating he was "not aware of any naked underage images generated by Grok. Literally zero." He also claimed that Grok only generates images according to user requests and will refuse to produce anything illegal, citing the platform's operating principle to obey local laws.
The investigation into X marks a significant escalation in the ongoing debate over AI regulation and responsibility in the tech industry. As scrutiny of Musk's social media platform intensifies, it remains to be seen whether Grok's capabilities will continue to raise eyebrows or prompt meaningful change in how we navigate the intersection of technology and ethics.
**Key Points:**
* California Governor Gavin Newsom demands investigation into Elon Musk's X over AI deepfake scandal * Coalition of 28 women's rights and child safety organizations demand ban on X from app stores * Indonesia and Malaysia have temporarily blocked X due to concerns over child safety * Musk denies any knowledge of Grok generating naked underage images, but insists platform will obey local laws