British MP sues Musk's xAI over deepfake bikini image

Suffolk MP Jess Asato has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI after fabricated bikini images of her were created using the firm's Grok tool. Asato alleges that Grok was used to generate deepfaked images of her likeness without her consent.

Jess Asato, a member of parliament for Suffolk in the UK, has taken legal action against Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI, accusing the firm of using its AI tool Grok to create fabricated bikini images of her. The case marks one of the first such lawsuits in the UK where a politician has directly pursued legal recourse against deepfake abuse.

According to Asato, xAI's product Grok was used to create manipulated images featuring her face and likeness, which were distributed without her knowledge or consent. The MP emphasises that such conduct damages both her reputation and personal dignity, and holds the platform that enables the creation of such content accountable for this misuse.

The case brings fresh attention to the growing problem of sexually explicit deepfaked images, which increasingly affect public figures — particularly women. In recent years, the UK Parliament has debated legislative reforms that would criminalise the creation and distribution of deepfaked intimate content, and Asato's lawsuit could reinvigorate this debate.

Neither xAI nor Grok has issued public comments on the matter. The lawsuit raises broader questions about the accountability of AI tools for the content they generate and highlights the need for clearer regulations governing artificial intelligence in both the UK and elsewhere in Europe.