Teachers Union Exits X After Grok AI Generates Sexualized Images of Children

US teachers union says it's leaving X over sexualized AI images of children

WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The American Federation of Teachers says it is leaving X, citing the social media site's creation and dissemination of "sickening" images of children in various states of undress. In an interview with Reuters, AFT President Randi Weingarten said that the site had already been degraded by extremists and trolls since Elon Musk's 2022 takeover, before which the platform was known as Twitter. But the recent proliferation of nonconsensual images of women and children in bikinis or underwear generated by X's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, had made the site unusable, she said. "The Grok AI image generator, with no safeguards, was the last straw," she said. "From tomorrow on, we're not using Twitter, or X." X didn't immediately respond to a request seeking comment on the AFT's announcement. Another company owned by Musk, xAI, sent a generic response when contacted for comment on the AFT's decision. Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by Franklin Paul and Lisa Shumaker Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Media & Telecom * Public Health Raphael Satter Thomson Reuters Reporter covering cybersecurity, surveillance, and disinformation for Reuters. Work has included investigations into state-sponsored espionage, deepfake-driven propaganda, and mercenary hacking.

American Teachers Union Exits X Over AI Sexualized Images Of Children, Citing Grok Chatbot's Content

Enter your email to get Benzinga's ultimate morning update: The PreMarket Activity Newsletter The American Federation of Teachers is shutting down its presence on X, after the platform's AI chatbot, Grok, produced sexually explicit images of minors, prompting concerns over child safety. Union Cites AI-Generated Content As Final Straw AFT President Randi Weingarten told Reuters that the social media platform had already been compromised by extremist activity and online trolling since Elon Musk's 2022 takeover. However, the unchecked proliferation of hyper-realistic images of women and children in sexualized or degrading poses generated by Grok was the decisive factor in the union's departure. Grok AI's Safety Failures Under Scrutiny While X has since limited Grok from publicly posting AI-generated images, the tool still allows users to digitally remove clothing from images. The AFT criticized the platform for failing to implement adequate safeguards, labeling the AI-generated content "sickening" and unsafe for public use. Union Prioritizes Child Protection Over Platform Presence The AFT, representing 1.8 million education workers, will silence both its official account, which has roughly 75,000 followers and Weingarten's personal account, followed by around 100,000 users. Growing Global Concerns Over AI And Social Media Malaysia and Indonesia have restricted access to Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, after authorities found that the platform could be exploited to create and share nonconsensual explicit images, including child sexual abuse material. Regulatory authorities in Europe and India have also launched investigations into Grok's image-generation capabilities. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Mamun_Sheikh on Shutterstock.com Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs