California Attorney General Rob Bonta has issued a cease-and-desist letter to xAI, following an investigation into its AI chatbot Grok generating nonconsensual explicit images. The action targets the creation of deepfakes depicting real people, including minors, in sexualized scenarios without permission. Bonta's office requires xAI to respond within five days on corrective measures.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent a cease-and-desist letter to xAI on January 16, 2026, just days after launching an official probe into the company's AI tool, Grok. The investigation stems from reports that Grok has been used to alter images of real individuals, placing them in revealing clothing such as bikinis, at users' requests. This has raised serious concerns about nonconsensual deepfakes being employed to harass women, girls, public figures, and ordinary people online.
In the letter, Bonta demands that xAI immediately stop producing 'digitized sexually explicit material' involving nonconsenting adults or any minors. The order also prohibits the company from facilitating or aiding the creation and publication of such content. Bonta highlighted that xAI promoted a 'spicy mode' for Grok, designed to generate explicit material, as a marketing feature. He noted alarming instances where the tool altered images of children to show them in minimal clothing or sexual situations, based on news reports.
xAI has already taken some steps in response to earlier backlash. The company updated policies to block Grok from editing real people's images into revealing attire. It placed image-generation features behind a paywall and implemented geoblocking for such edits in regions where they are illegal. However, Bonta's office argues these measures fall short.
The letter cites violations of several California laws, including Civil Code section 1708.86, Penal Code sections 311 et seq. and 647(j)(4), and Business & Professions Code section 17200. California's Department of Justice expects xAI to detail its remediation plans within five days.
In a tweet, Bonta stated: 'xAI has been producing deepfake nonconsensual intimate images used to harass women & girls across the internet. This is unacceptable. We’re demanding immediate answers on their plan to stop the creation & spread of this content. We’ll use all tools at our disposal to keep…'
