U.S. Democrats Urge Apple and Google to Remove X and Grok Over Sexualised AI Images

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Three Democratic U.S. senators have urged Apple and Google to remove social media platform X and its built-in artificial intelligence chatbot Grok from their app stores, citing the spread of non-consensual sexual images of women and minors.

In a letter published on Friday, Senators Ron Wyden, Ben Ray Lujan and Edward Markey said the two tech giants “must remove these apps from the app stores until X’s policy violations are addressed.” The letter argues that the continued availability of the apps undermines Apple’s and Google’s own app store rules prohibiting sexual or pornographic material and content that facilitates the exploitation or abuse of children.

X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has faced growing global scrutiny after Grok generated AI-created images depicting women and children in sexualised or degrading contexts without consent. The senators noted that both Apple and Google have previously acted quickly to remove apps found to be in violation of similar standards.

“Turning a blind eye to X’s egregious behavior would make a mockery of your moderation practices,” the lawmakers wrote.

Apple and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment. X referred to an earlier statement saying it takes action against illegal content, including child sexual abuse material. X’s parent company, xAI, did not directly address the senators’ demands, reiterating only that criticism of the platform amounted to “legacy media lies.”

The pressure comes as regulators in several countries intensify scrutiny of X and Grok. In Britain, Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said she expected media regulator Ofcom to take action within days if the platform fails to comply with online safety rules.

While xAI has introduced some limits on Grok’s image generation for non-paying users, critics argue the measures are insufficient. Senator Wyden said the changes merely force some users to pay to create harmful images, while the platform continues to profit from abusive content.

DeepSeek Plans February Launch of Coding-Focused AI Model V4, Report Says

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Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek is expected to launch its next-generation AI model, V4, in mid-February, with a strong focus on coding capabilities, The Information reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

According to the report, internal testing by DeepSeek employees indicates that the V4 model could outperform leading rivals such as Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s GPT series in software development and coding-related tasks. The model is also said to show major improvements in handling extremely long and complex coding prompts, a feature that could give developers an edge when working on large-scale or intricate software projects.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the report, and DeepSeek did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Based in Hangzhou, DeepSeek has rapidly emerged as a prominent player in China’s drive to build a domestic AI ecosystem and reduce reliance on foreign technology. The company attracted international attention after several Silicon Valley executives publicly praised its earlier models, including DeepSeek-V3 and DeepSeek-R1, for their performance and cost efficiency.

In January, Reuters reported that DeepSeek claimed to have developed a low-cost rival to ChatGPT, further boosting its profile in the global AI race. However, the company has also faced scrutiny in some countries over concerns related to data security and privacy practices, highlighting the growing regulatory attention surrounding advanced AI systems.

Andreessen Horowitz Raises $15 Billion, Doubles Down on AI and Defense Startups

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Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, also known as a16z, said on Friday it has raised more than $15 billion across five new funds, less than two years after its previous fundraising round, underscoring sustained investor appetite for technology despite a broader slowdown in venture capital fundraising.

The firm said it secured $6.75 billion for a growth fund focused on scaling startups, $1.7 billion for an artificial intelligence infrastructure fund, and $1.12 billion for a fund targeting national priorities such as defense, housing and supply chains. The remaining capital was spread across two additional funds, the firm said.

Venture capital fundraising has remained difficult due to weak exit activity in recent years. According to PitchBook data, only $118.6 billion in new commitments were closed last year, nearly $100 billion less than in 2024, while the number of new funds closed in 2025 was the lowest in a decade. Against that backdrop, a16z’s haul highlights how the largest and most established VC firms continue to attract capital from limited partners.

AI and defense technology have emerged as key bright spots, as the United States intensifies efforts to maintain its technological edge amid growing competition from China. Marc Andreessen, a co-founder of the firm, has been a prominent supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump and an adviser to the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.

“The technology landscape that we will be investing into is intensely competitive with China,” said Ben Horowitz, co-founder and general partner at a16z. “At this moment of profound technological opportunity, it is fundamentally important for humanity that America wins.”

Reuters reported last April that a16z was seeking to raise a roughly $20 billion megafund focused on AI-driven growth-stage investments. The firm is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capital players and has backed major technology companies including Facebook, Instagram, Coinbase and Lyft.

In its previous major fundraising round in April 2024, a16z raised $7.2 billion across five funds. The firm now manages more than $90 billion in assets across all its investment vehicles.