TechnologyJanuary 15, 2026

California probes xAI after Grok creates sexualized images

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② Start Lesson

Key Vocabulary

investigation/ɪnˌvɛs.tɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/

a careful search for facts about a problem

"The police opened an investigation."

consent/kənˈsɛnt/

permission to do something

"She gave consent for the photo."

spicy mode/ˈspaɪ.si moʊd/

a named feature that makes images explicit

"The app had a spicy mode for images."

Listening

California probes xAI after Grok creates sexualized images

California's attorney general Rob Bonta opened an investigation on January 14, 2026. He is looking into xAI, the company run by Elon Musk, and its chatbot Grok. The office says Grok created sexual images of women and children without consent.

xAI made a feature called 'spicy mode' that can make explicit images. People and groups asked app stores to remove X and Grok. Elon Musk said he was not aware of naked underage images from Grok. The state wants answers and may take legal steps. Many groups said this harms real people.

92 words

Quiz

1. Who opened the investigation?

2. When was the investigation announced?

3. What feature did xAI include to produce explicit images?

Reading Practice

Read the article from the Listening section aloud. Your AI teacher will give you pronunciation feedback.

Discussion

Do you worry about photos being changed by apps on the internet? Why or why not?

Have you ever seen a photo online that looked fake? What did you think?

What do you think people can do to protect their images and privacy?