Grok AI Floods X With Sexualized Images, Raising Global Alarm

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X’s built-in AI chatbot Grok has generated a wave of sexualized images of women — and in some cases minors — after users prompted the tool to digitally alter real photos, a Reuters investigation found.

One victim, Brazilian musician Julie Yukari, said Grok created near-nude images of her after users asked the bot to strip her clothing from a harmless photo. Similar incidents have appeared widely on X, with Reuters documenting dozens of successful requests to place women in highly revealing outfits. Reuters also identified several cases involving sexualized images of children.

The backlash has spread internationally. French ministers said the content was “manifestly illegal” and reported X to prosecutors and regulators, while India’s IT ministry warned the platform had failed to stop the generation of obscene material. U.S. regulators including the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission declined to comment.

Experts said the outcome was foreseeable. AI watchdogs warned last year that Grok’s image tools could easily be abused to create non-consensual deepfakes. “This was entirely predictable and avoidable,” said Dani Pinter of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, blaming weak safeguards and content moderation.

X owner Elon Musk appeared to mock the controversy by responding with laughing emojis to AI-generated bikini images, including ones depicting himself. xAI, which develops Grok, previously dismissed reports of sexualized images of minors with the statement: “Legacy Media Lies.”

Trump Blocks Chip Deal, Citing National Security and China Concerns

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Donald Trump on Friday blocked a $3 million deal in which U.S. photonics firm HieFo Corp sought to acquire assets from New Jersey-based aerospace and defense supplier Emcore, citing national security and China-related risks.

In an order released by the White House, Trump said HieFo was “controlled by a citizen of the People’s Republic of China,” raising concerns that the transaction could threaten U.S. national security. He ordered HieFo to divest all interests in the Emcore assets within 180 days.

The decision followed a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which identified national security risks linked to the deal, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Officials did not specify the nature of those risks.

Emcore has said HieFo acquired its chip business and indium-phosphide wafer fabrication operations for about $2.92 million. The company was publicly traded at the time of the transaction and has since gone private.

HieFo previously said it was co-founded by Genzao Zhang, a former Emcore vice president of engineering, and Harry Moore, a former senior sales director at Emcore. Neither company immediately responded to requests for comment following Trump’s order.

Meta Buys AI Startup Manus to Accelerate Artificial Intelligence Push

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Meta is acquiring artificial intelligence startup Manus as the owner of Facebook and Instagram steps up efforts to expand AI capabilities across its platforms. The company did not disclose financial terms, though The Wall Street Journal reported the deal was valued at more than $2 billion.

Manus, a Singapore-based platform with Chinese roots, launched a general-purpose AI agent earlier this year offering paid tools for research, coding and other tasks. Meta said Manus already serves millions of users worldwide and will help deliver AI agents across its consumer and business products, including Meta AI.

Manus CEO Xiao Hong said joining Meta would provide a stronger foundation without changing how the platform operates. Manus will continue selling subscriptions through its own app and website and confirmed it will remain based in Singapore.

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The startup has grown rapidly, announcing earlier this month that it surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue just eight months after launch. Early backers reportedly included Tencent Holdings, ZhenFund and HSG.

Meta said there will be no continuing Chinese ownership interests after the deal and that Manus will discontinue operations in China. The move comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg seeks to strengthen the company’s AI position amid competition from Google and OpenAI. In June, Meta invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI and recruited its CEO to help lead advanced AI development.