British Labor MP Jess Asato is suing xAI over sexually explicit AI-generated images that were created of her by Grok, The Financial Times reports. The trial is the first high-profile test of whether AI companies can be held responsible for content people produce with their tools in the UK.
Grok users began producing and sharing images of Asato in January, just as it was first reported that the AI assistant had been used to create CSAM. Asato claims users tricked Grok into producing images of her in a bikini, as well as an explicit video “showing her being chloroformed and prepared for sexual assault.” FT writing. Users then shared, discussed, and produced more AI images on X, the social platform owned by xAI.
Today I am launching a High Court action against xAI, the company behind Grok.
I am just one of thousands of women and even children who have been victims of abusive and sexualized deepfakes by AI.
This should never have happened – and xAI must be held accountable.
– Jess Asato MP (@Jess4Lowestoft) June 3, 2026
Asato’s lawsuit claims that xAI violated laws regarding misuse of private information and data protection, exposing it to liability even though it is individual users who use Grok. She is seeking financial damages and an order that will force xAI to comply with British law. “I hope this will rebalance the rights of individuals against very large technology companies that should have put safeguards in place before harming women and children,” Asato said. FT.
xAI claimed to have imposed limits on Grok’s ability to produce sexually explicit images in January, but these blocks were fairly easily circumvented during testing. Negative response to Grok’s ability to produce non-consensual deepfakes has been widespread. In addition to being investigated in the EU, UK and California, xAI or X is also being sued by the city of Baltimore, Maryland, a group of teenagers and Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of Elon Musk’s children.
All of this is happening as SpaceX, the relatively new owner of xAI and X, is trying to go public. It’s hard to say whether the negative attention will have an impact on Musk’s new IPO, but it clearly appears that any move to reign in Grok will come from regulators or one of these lawsuits, rather than the SpaceX CEO himself.
