Baltimore Sues Musk’s xAI Over Grok’s Creation of Explicit Deepfakes of Minors

The city of Baltimore filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, after its chatbot Grok was used to generate nonconsensual, sexually explicit images — including images of minors — in violation of consumer protection laws.

The complaint argues that users of Musk’s social platform X can encounter this content simply by using the app, and risk having their own photos turned into degrading deepfakes without their knowledge or consent.

City officials say that reality directly contradicts how Grok and X have been marketed as safe for users.

“Baltimore residents have a reasonable expectation that they will not be exposed to this illegal content,” the lawsuit states.

At the center of the complaint is Grok’s so-called “spicy mode,” which allegedly allows users to request altered images that undress or sexualize both public figures and private individuals — including children. The lawsuit claims these images often place people in explicit, degrading, or violent scenarios.

Data cited in the filing from the Center for Countering Digital Hate estimates that Grok generated roughly 3 million sexualized images in a 10-day span, including about 20,000 involving minors.

The city also highlights specific cases, including one woman who alleges Grok generated fully nude images of her without consent.

Baltimore further claims Musk amplified the issue by engaging with the trend himself, posting an altered image that, according to the lawsuit, signaled such uses were acceptable and even encouraged.

Although X later restricted some of Grok’s image-generation features, the lawsuit says the tool remained accessible through other parts of the platform, its standalone website, and app.

“These deepfakes, especially those depicting minors, have traumatic, lifelong consequences for victims,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said. “Our city will not stand by — this is a threat to privacy, dignity, and public safety.”

The lawsuit seeks maximum financial penalties and a court order requiring xAI to stop the alleged practices and overhaul its platform design and marketing.

The case comes amid growing legal and political scrutiny. A group of teenagers in Tennessee recently filed a similar lawsuit, and regulators in the European Union, California, and Congress have launched investigations into Grok’s capabilities.