xAI sues Grok user accused of creating child sexual abuse deepfakes

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has filed a lawsuit against a South Carolina man accused of using its Grok chatbot to generate child sexual abuse material and non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes, marking one of the first known cases of an AI company suing one of its own users over alleged misuse.

According to the complaint, Harwood uploaded non-sexual images into Grok and allegedly used the AI system to generate sexually explicit deepfakes involving both adults and children. xAI also claims he created non-consensual sexualized images of adults using the platform.

Harwood was arrested in February on separate charges related to the alleged sexual exploitation of minors. His legal representation was not immediately known.

In its filing, xAI said it actively enforces its safety policies by suspending accounts, terminating access and reporting suspected child sexual abuse material to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

The company said it has suspended 52,222 accounts and submitted 73,604 reports to NCMEC in 2026, actions it says have contributed to at least 244 arrests.

xAI is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a permanent court order preventing Harwood from accessing or using Grok in the future.

The lawsuit comes as xAI faces heightened international scrutiny over concerns that Grok has been used to create non-consensual AI-generated sexual deepfakes. The company argues that Harwood deliberately attempted to exploit its technology for criminal purposes, causing harm to victims while exposing xAI to legal and reputational risks.

If successful, the case could become a significant legal precedent as AI companies increasingly pursue civil action against users accused of exploiting generative AI tools for illegal content.