Dispute over sexualized AI images
Trump vice-president stands against Musk
01/12/2026 – 10:57 amReading time: 2 minutes
US Vice President JD Vance criticizes a highly controversial function of the chatbot Grok on the X platform. In doing so, he publicly distances himself from tech billionaire Elon Musk.
US Vice President JD Vance has criticized a function of the AI chatbot Grok that can be used to sexualize images on the X platform. According to British Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, he told the British newspaper The Guardian that he had specifically raised the issue in a meeting with Vance.
The ability to create deepfakes and manipulate images of women and children using new technologies is a “horrifying situation” and “absolutely abhorrent,” Lammy said. Vance agreed with this assessment.
The statements are notable because Vance has been seen as a supporter of an open approach to artificial intelligence and has often shown skepticism about government regulation. X owner and friend and supporter of Vance, Elon Musk, who runs Grok through his AI company xAI, fundamentally rejects government intervention and warns against censorship.
The controversial Grok function allows users to subsequently edit images that have already been published. According to reports, photos of women or minors are often sexualized. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the practice as “disgusting”.
Britain’s media regulator Ofcom is currently investigating whether Grok is violating online safety laws. Technology Minister Liz Kendall said she expected Ofcom to use all legal powers. In the most extreme case, Platform X could be blocked in Great Britain.
Elon Musk responded to the investigation with sharp criticism. Among other things, he accused the British government of censorship and described it as “fascist” in an article. Musk had made similar allegations against Great Britain several times in the past.
Internationally, the pressure is also growing. Indonesia was the first country in the world to temporarily block access to Grok. The measure is intended to “protect women, children and the public from the risks of fake pornographic content,” explained Digital Minister Meutya Hafid.
