A member of the Labour Party who felt embarrassed when an artificial intelligence (AI) tool produced fake images of her in a bikini is taking legal action against a technology company owned by Elon Musk.
Jess Asato became a target earlier this year after condemning the Grok chatbot, utilized to generate inappropriate images of women and children. Users online altered her photos using xAI’s tool, creating a deepfake image of her in a bikini and a video depicting a disturbing scenario of sexual assault preparation.
As the representative for Lowestoft, Jess Asato, a dedicated advocate against violence towards women and girls, highlighted various distressing incidents, such as the creation of deepfake pornography using women’s images and manipulating a photo of a Jewish woman to place her in a bikini at Auschwitz.
Ms. Asato expressed her decision to pursue legal action against xAI, the company operated by Elon Musk, for the misuse of her images without consent. She stated that the incidents were degrading and violated her privacy, leading her to file a legal claim.
The MP emphasized her frustration at the extensive harm caused by Grok and criticized the lack of responsibility from Elon Musk. Ms. Asato aims to bring attention to the plight of other victims and urges those affected to reach out to her.
Ms. Asato shared that legal intervention was necessary to remove the AI-generated images of her, emphasizing the financial burden faced by many in seeking legal recourse.
She stressed the importance of implementing proper safeguards in AI tools to protect individuals, particularly women and children, from exploitation. Ms. Asato pointed out the lack of protective measures in Grok, despite prior warnings about its potential for misuse.
The legal case against xAI was officially filed at the High Court, focusing on the design flaws of the Grok chatbot that allowed image manipulation of the MP. The outcome of the case could establish a precedent regarding liability for AI system design.
Furthermore, Ms. Asato hopes that her legal battle will ignite discussions on the concept of consent in the digital realm. Ravi Naik, her legal representative from AWO, emphasized the need for accountability in AI design choices and the importance of prioritizing safety.
The Grok scandal sparked global outrage earlier in the year due to the proliferation of sexualized deepfakes on Elon Musk’s platform. The Internet Watch Foundation reported the discovery of illicit images involving children, allegedly created using Grok.
Political figures like Keir Starmer and Liz Kendall condemned the actions of Grok and X, labeling the generated images as tools of abuse. In response to public pressure, X committed to ensuring compliance with UK laws on non-consensual image creation.
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