State AGs Demand xAI Halt Nonconsensual Sexual Content Generation

WA Attorney General News Releases

Filed May 1st, 2026

Detected February 7th, 2026

Summary

35 State Attorneys General have demanded that xAI, the company behind X (Twitter) and Grok, immediately cease the generation of nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material by its AI chatbot. The letter warns that the company's outputs may violate state and federal laws, referencing the upcoming enforcement of the Take It Down Act.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

A coalition of 35 State Attorneys General, led by Washington AG Nick Brown, has issued a demand to xAI, the parent company of X (formerly Twitter) and the AI chatbot Grok. The AGs are demanding that xAI immediately prevent Grok from generating nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material, citing repeated instances where users have prompted the AI to create such content. The letter highlights concerns that Grok's outputs may violate state and federal laws, including those pertaining to nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material, and notes that these issues will be further addressed by the Take It Down Act in May 2026.

Regulated entities, particularly technology companies involved in AI development and deployment, should be aware of this significant enforcement action and the potential for increased scrutiny and legal challenges regarding AI-generated harmful content. While this is a demand letter and not yet a formal legal filing with penalties, it signals a strong intent by state law enforcement to hold companies accountable. Companies should review their AI content generation policies and safeguards to ensure compliance with existing laws and anticipate future regulatory actions, especially concerning the creation and distribution of nonconsensual intimate imagery and child exploitation material.

Source document (simplified)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Jan 23 2026

Attorney General Nick Brown joined a bipartisan group of 35 attorneys general today demanding that xAI, the company that owns both the X (Twitter) social media platform and the AI chatbot Grok, do more immediately to prevent its chatbot from generating nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material.

In recent weeks, Grok has made this content publicly available at the click of a button, driving harassment and exploitation that deprives people of control over how their bodies and likenesses are portrayed.

“We can’t allow big tech companies to flout the law in creating tools that allow users to create nonconsensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material through AI,” said Brown. “I’m heartened by the fact that this bipartisan group can come together to demand accountability for how the platform has facilitated this disturbing behavior.”

Users have repeatedly prompted Grok to “undress” individuals, particularly women and children, and to place them in sexualized contexts without consent. In some cases, Grok has generated images depicting children in minimal clothing or sexual situations. The attorneys general note that xAI has marketed Grok’s permissive content generation as a selling point and warn that “the ability to create nonconsensual intimate images appears to be a feature, not a bug.”

Although xAI has recently implemented limited measures that appear to have reduced the volume of this content, the attorneys general are demanding assurances that these safeguards are effective, durable, and consistently enforced. They are also urging the company to honor requests to remove this content – a requirement that will soon be mandated under federal law when the Take It Down Act becomes enforceable in May 2026.

As the chief law enforcement officers of their states, the attorneys general raise serious concerns that Grok’s outputs may violate state and federal civil and criminal laws governing nonconsensual intimate images, the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse material, and the legal remedies available to victims.

In Washington state, disclosing intimate images of another person without their consent is illegal, including fabricated images, sometimes referred to as “deepfakes.” Possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material is also a crime under Washington state law, which also includes fabricated depictions.

The attorneys general are demanding that xAI share how it intends to:

Ensure that Grok is no longer capable of producing nonconsensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material.
Eliminate such content that has already been produced.
Take action against users who have generated this content.
Grant X users control over whether their content can be edited by Grok. Brown joins the attorneys general of North Carolina, Utah, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, American Samoa, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming in sending this letter.

A copy of the letter is available here.

-30-

Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties.

Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

Media Contact:

Email: press@atg.wa.gov

Phone: (360) 753-2727

General contacts: Click here

Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

News Releases 2026 News Releases 2025 News Releases 2024 News Releases 2023 News Releases 2022 News Releases 2021 News Releases 2020 News Releases 2019 News Releases 2018 News Releases 2017 News Releases 2016 News Releases 2015 News Releases 2014 News Releases 2013 News Releases 2012 News Releases 2011 News Releases 2010 News Releases 2009 News Releases 2008 News Releases 2007 News Releases 2006 News Releases 2005 News Releases 2004 News Releases 2003 News Releases 2002 News Releases 2001 News Releases 2000 News Releases 1999 News Releases 1998 News Releases 1997 News Releases 1996