Back Mezha xAI sues South Carolina man in Texas federal court over Grok sexual deepfakes
A federal complaint alleges systematic misuse of Grok to produce sexualized images and minors deepfakes, prompting xAI to seek damages and a permanent ban.
As highlighted by Reuters
On July 15, 2026, the artificial intelligence startup xAI, founded by Elon Musk, filed a lawsuit against Terry Harwood, a man from South Carolina who was arrested earlier this year on charges of sexual exploitation of minors. The suit was filed in a federal court in Texas.
In the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, it states that Harwood violated Grok’s terms of use. This is one of the first cases where an AI company sues its user for using the system to create materials with explicit sexual content.
information for Harwood, who was arrested in February, was not immediately available. xAI representatives did not respond to a request for on Wednesday.
The lawsuit comes amid broad attention to Grok due to allegations that the service allows users to create sexually explicit images using AI, including deepfakes of minors.
The defendant’s actions were a calculated scheme to use the plaintiff’s tool for criminal purposes, causing real victims serious and lasting harm, while placing the plaintiff at substantial legal risk and reputational damage.
The lawsuit also states that Harwood uploaded unauthorized images of adults and minors to Grok and attempted to create sexual deepfakes based on their images. It also alleges that he created an unauthorized sexual recording of adults.
The company asks the court to award an undetermined amount of damages and issue an injunction permanently prohibiting Harwood from using Grok.
This case underscores the growing pressure on AI developers to address content accountability and user safety.
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