Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok is creating the kind of deepfake porn Ted Cruz fought to ban
WASHINGTON — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Wednesday many of the deepfake porn images being generated by Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok are unacceptable violations of the law he authored and fought to get enacted last year.“These unlawful images pose a serious threat to victims’ privacy and dignity,” Cruz said on X. “They should be taken down and guardrails should be put in place.”Cruz said he’s encouraged that X has said it’s taking the violations seriously.Lawmakers have grappled for years with how to tackle the rise of AI programs designed to turn photos of real people, including minors, into ultrarealistic nudes without their consent.Political PointsGet the latest politics news from North Texas and beyond.By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.Those programs have largely been confined to the underbelly of the internet, while more widely used AI programs included safeguards to prevent such abuse.Watchdog groups warned last summer in a letter to state and federal authorities about the growing potential for Grok to create nonconsensual intimate images.Grok has recently been fulfilling requests by X users to alter and post pictures of women and girls by replacing their clothes with revealing materials such as clear tape, micro bikinis or dental floss.In response to a request for comment, X cited a statement it posted online.“We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary,” it said. Musk has posted on X that “anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content.”In another post, Musk took a more light-hearted tone, saying, “not sure why, but I couldn’t stop laughing about this one,” in reference to a picture of a bikini-clad toaster with the caption “Grok can put a bikini on everything.”Cruz, a Republican, has described Musk as a “good friend,” hailed him as a tech leader and praised his purchase of Twitter as a victory for free speech.In a brief interview Wednesday with The Dallas Morning News, Cruz said he hasn’t spoken with Musk about the proliferation of the AI images on the platform, but has faith it will be addressed.“I have a high level of confidence that Grok will resolve the issue,” Cruz said.Cruz’s Take It Down Act made it illegal to publish or threaten to publish nonconsensual intimate images, including realistic computer-generated photos and videos depicting real people.He wrote the bill after hearing from Aledo High School student Elliston Berry and her mother, Anna McAdams.Elliston was 14 years old in October 2023 when a classmate used an artificial intelligence program to turn innocent photos of her into realistic-looking nudes and shared them with the rest of the school.Others who advocated for the legislation include First Lady Melania Trump and advocacy groups such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.President Donald Trump speaks as first lady Melania Trump, seated right, and Rep. Maria Salazar R-Fla., standing from right, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and others watch as Trump signs a bill for the "Take it Down Act" in the Rose Garden of the White House, Monday, May 19, 2025, in Washington.Evan Vucci / APThe law was passed with strong bipartisan support and signed by President Donald Trump.Elliston and her mother attended the signing ceremony, as did Linda Yaccarino, who was CEO of X at the time.Yaccarino posted on X after the event that X would continue to work alongside Cruz and other lawmakers “to do everything possible to make the internet safer, especially for children.”Fernando Cota was buried at a San Antonio cemetery in 1984. Brendan Carr testified before the Senate Commerce Committee for the first time since suggesting the network could face repercussions for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
