New claimants join Labour MP’s test case against xAI over AI-generated abuse
As Jess Asato’s lawsuit proceeds, UK ministers urge accountability for AI design choices amid rising concerns over non-consensual content on X platforms.
A growing number of complainants have contacted the legal team of Labour MP Jess Asato, seeking to join her High Court action against Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI. The test case alleges that the firm breached data protection laws and private information rights by allowing its Grok tool to generate demeaning, sexualised images of real people without consent.
Ravi Naik, legal director at AWO, confirmed on Thursday that he is already representing multiple individuals wishing to pursue similar claims. Naik described the proceedings as a pivotal moment for establishing liability for AI developers, drawing an analogy to an architect’s responsibility for the structural integrity of a building. He argued that creators of AI models make specific design choices that must carry legal responsibility, particularly when those choices enable the production of degrading content.
The claim centres on the generation of fake images of Asato in a bikini and an AI-created video depicting her being chloroformed. Asato reported receiving further verbal abuse and a new AI-generated image shortly after announcing the legal proceedings on Thursday. She stated that the experience was psychologically distressing and argued that engineers and Musk had the opportunity to implement guardrails to prevent such content but chose not to.
The legal action follows a viral trend on X in January, where researchers noted the platform generated approximately three million sexualised images in less than two weeks. The technology, which allowed users to alter images of real people, was later placed behind a paywall and its capacity was limited by xAI. Asato highlighted that Musk amplified hostility by sharing abusive responses to her complaints, which she said contributed to the creation of the horrific video content.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly supported Asato’s decision, describing the images as disgusting. Business Secretary Peter Kyle urged politicians to be assertive in holding Musk accountable for content on his platforms, noting the billionaire’s increasingly active role in British politics. xAI did not respond to a request for comment regarding the expanding legal challenge.