NEW YORK, June 11 — A massive, inflatable effigy of billionaire Elon Musk towered over tourists and commuters in the middle of Times Square earlier today, surrounded by black banners with statements alleging “Grok makes AI child porn” and “SpaceX owns Grok,” referring to the Musk-owned AI chatbot.
The protest is a response to the controversy surrounding Grok, whose image-generation tool was used to create a flood of sexualized images of minors earlier this year. Masked attendants stood nearby, handing out flyers with additional information, but they would not speak with the media.
SpaceX, which is currently valued at $1.77 trillion, is set to debut on the stock market with a starting price of $135 per share. Though the public will be able to buy shares in the company, Musk will retain the majority of voting power, giving him the ability to almost unilaterally make decisions for the company. The IPO could also make Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
Critics argue that the move is a “liability shift,” with one saying “Elon is responsible for all of this.
It’s all the decisions that he’s made. All of those litigation expenses, regulatory fines, investigations, all of that is basically being shifted to the shareholders.” In February, Musk announced that SpaceX was buying xAI, the artificial intelligence company he founded and the developer of Grok.
The announcement came just as xAI was facing scrutiny both in the US and abroad for the chatbot’s ability to generate nude photos of women and children.
The European Commission announced in January that it would be investigating the company to “assess whether the company properly assessed and mitigated risks” to prevent the creation of nonconsensual sexual imagery. A class action lawsuit was filed in March by three girls against xAI.
The protest in Times Square is a stark reminder of the controversy surrounding Grok and the concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology.
Looking ahead, it will be important to watch how the situation develops and how Musk and SpaceX address the concerns surrounding Grok and xAI. With the potential for significant consequences, the company’s response will be closely scrutinized by investors, regulators, and the public alike.
