Labour MP initiates high court action against xAI over AI-generated imagery

Labour MP Jess Asato has filed a claim in the London High Court against xAI, the artificial intelligence subsidiary of Elon Musk’s social media platform X, alleging breaches of data protection legislation and misuse of private information. The legal action centres on the Grok AI tool generating non-consensual sexualised imagery of Asato, including depictions of her in a bikini and a video suggesting she was being chloroformed and prepared for sexual assault.

Asato, the Member of Parliament for Lowestoft, stated that the images were produced after she publicly condemned the creation of such non-consensual content earlier this year. She described the portrayal of herself in revealing attire without consent as violating, noting that the legal claim seeks to rebalance the rights of individuals against large technology companies that she argues failed to implement adequate safeguards.

The lawsuit aims to establish a precedent for the liability of AI developers regarding user-generated content. Asato’s legal representative, Ravi Naik, argued that the case hinges on the principle that developers must be accountable for the design and deployment of their tools. Naik asserted that an image designed to resemble an individual with the specific purpose of degrading them must legally be considered an image of that person, a stance xAI has contested.

This legal challenge follows a similar action filed in New York state by Ashley St Clair, who alleged that Grok generated explicit images of her, including one depicting her as underage. The case arises amidst heightened scrutiny from the UK government and the media regulator Ofcom, which has launched an inquiry into the use of Grok to create explicit imagery of real individuals.

In January, the UK government threatened action against X after reports emerged that Grok was used to produce vast quantities of sexualised imagery based on real women. While X initially proposed restricting such generation to paying customers—a move condemned by Prime Minister Keir Starmer—the company subsequently stated it had stopped Grok from editing pictures of real people to show them in revealing clothes.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of ongoing tension between government officials and the platform. Downing Street, various government departments, and numerous MPs have remained on X despite calls to quit, citing concerns over Grok-generated images and Musk’s alignment with far-right causes in the UK. Additionally, Grok has been implicated in falsely accusing Hampshire police officers of involvement in the arrest of Henry Nowak, leading to safety concerns for the officers involved.