The mother of one of Elon Musk’s children has initiated legal action against his artificial intelligence company for the alleged dissemination of sexually explicit deepfake images depicting her. Ashley St. Clair, aged 27, has accused the company’s Grok chatbot of enabling the creation of these demeaning deepfake images, causing her immense embarrassment and emotional trauma.
Identifying herself as a writer and political strategist, St. Clair filed a lawsuit in New York City against xAI, claiming that the images included manipulated photos of her at the age of 14, depicting her in inappropriate attire, as well as adult images in sexualized poses or wearing bikinis with offensive symbols. St. Clair, who is Jewish, detailed the distress caused by these images.
Grok, featured on Musk’s social network X, faced criticism globally for allowing the manipulation of images of women and children. Responding to the backlash, X announced limitations on Grok’s ability to alter photos of real individuals in revealing clothing, especially where such actions are illegal.
In response to inquiries regarding the lawsuit, xAI dismissed them as “Legacy Media Lies.” St. Clair reported the deepfakes to X when they first surfaced, seeking their removal. Initially, X claimed the images did not breach policies, but later assured St. Clair that her images would not be used or altered without consent.
In retaliation, St. Clair alleged that X downgraded her account privileges and continued to allow demeaning deepfake images despite the promises made. She expressed enduring mental anguish and humiliation due to xAI’s involvement in disseminating these altered images, fearing the impact on viewers.
St. Clair, who is the mother of Musk’s 16-month-old child, Romulus, resides in New York City where she filed for damages for emotional distress and requested court orders to prevent further deepfake creation. The legal battle escalated as xAI shifted the lawsuit to federal court in Manhattan and countersued St. Clair in Texas, citing a breach of the user agreement.
Carrie Goldberg, St. Clair’s legal representative, criticized xAI’s countersuit, emphasizing the significance of the claims against the company. X announced additional measures for Grok to enhance accountability, including restricting image alterations to paid accounts and asserting a zero-tolerance policy towards exploitative content.