xAI causes controversy over AI tool that creates deepfake nude of Taylor Swift

A new AI video tool from xAI – the company founded by Elon Musk – is facing a wave of criticism for allowing users to create deepfake nude celebrities like Taylor Swift with minimal effort. The feature, called Grok Imagine, launched on Tuesday, has a "Spicy" option that allows the creation of erotic or nude videos, even though this violates xAI's policy against pornographic content.

On the first day, the tool generated 20 million images, contributing to Musk calling it "Hyperviral." After the deepfake of Swift went viral, xAI was forced to restrict the "Spicy" feature with images of this female celebrity.

Unlike platforms like Google Veo 3 or OpenAI Sora that have strict censorship measures, xAI has been criticized for lacking barriers against sensitive content and violations of real images. Notably, the incident occurred just a year after Swift was implicated in a deepfake supporting Trump during the 2024 election season – although she later supported his opponent Kamala Harris.

Currently, Elon Musk has not spoken out, while the U.S. legislature continues to apply pressure after passing the "Take It Down" Act in May to protect victims of non-consensual private images.

This is the latest incident related to the unvetted AI products of xAI – following the Grok chatbot's racist remarks in July.