{"id":20478,"date":"2026-01-14T02:05:31","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T08:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/2026\/01\/14\/texas-democrats-call-on-ag-ken-paxton-to-investigate-elon-musks-ai-chatbot-grok\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T02:05:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T08:05:32","slug":"texas-democrats-call-on-ag-ken-paxton-to-investigate-elon-musks-ai-chatbot-grok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/2026\/01\/14\/texas-democrats-call-on-ag-ken-paxton-to-investigate-elon-musks-ai-chatbot-grok\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Democrats call on AG Ken Paxton to investigate Elon Musk\u2019s AI chatbot Grok"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Issue<\/h1>\n

AUSTIN \u2014 Texas House Democrats on Monday dared Attorney General Ken Paxton to take on Elon Musk. Led by Rep. Mihaela Plesa of Dallas, more than 40 Democrats demanded an inquiry into allegations that Musk\u2019s social media platform X has been used to churn out explicit, sexualized images without consent. That move sets up a politically charged test for Paxton, who is running for Senate, potentially pitting the Republican against a powerful conservative figure, key national GOP donor and major presence in Texas.<\/p>\n

Paxton\u2019s office did not respond to messages seeking comment. Paxton has long emphasized his tough stance on child exploitation and big tech, including lawsuits against major technology companies.<\/p>\n

Background on the Issue<\/h2>\n

Plesa said she became concerned with Grok, Musk\u2019s chatbot tool, after encountering a sexualized image of Renee Good, the Minnesota woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last week. \u201cI was horrified when I saw what I saw on X, and I\u2019m sure that parents are horrified to see this, too,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Grok is an artificial intelligence chatbot built into X, able to generate text and images in response to user prompts. It is accessible through an app, a website and an account on X. In recent weeks, some X users have used it to craft sexualized images of women and minors. Musk has at times appeared to delight in the tool, asking it to create an image of himself in a bikini recently.<\/p>\n

Concerns and Reactions<\/h3>\n

In a post last week, Musk said accounts trying to use Grok to create images of undressed children would suffer \u201cconsequences.\u201d The company also said in a statement on X that it would remove illegal content depicting children and permanently suspend accounts that asked Grok to make such images. Plesa said those assurances fall short without clear enforcement and legal accountability at the state level.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are asking the attorney general to focus on our kids, on women in the state who have experienced this and have become victims of this,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are asking for clear pathways as to if you are a victim, how to resolve this, how to get legal action, how to get these images removed from the internet.\u201d<\/p>\n

State Enforcement and Laws<\/h2>\n

Plesa said Texas lawmakers enacted tools that can hold Musk\u2019s company accountable for the sexualized images. Last year, the Legislature passed the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act, making it illegal to design an AI tool solely for the creation of child pornography and deepfake videos. The law took effect on Jan. 1.<\/p>\n

Attorney General Ken Paxton. (AP Photo\/Eric Gay, File)<\/p>\n

Paxton \u201chas the authority to ask X to shut down until we figure out what\u2019s going on,\u201d Plesa said. Paxton has not shied away from suing big tech companies. His office secured billion-dollar settlements from Google and Meta over allegations of illegal tracking of users\u2019 geolocation and biometric data.<\/p>\n

Political Implications<\/h3>\n

But Plesa said Musk\u2019s political ties to Republicans raise questions about whether Paxton would pursue an investigation of a perceived ally. \u201cIt seems like when it comes to things like his friends or people that he\u2019s allied himself with, he\u2019s turning a blind eye,\u201d she said. Musk served as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Donald Trump and has given millions to elect Republicans in recent years.<\/p>\n

\"FILE<\/p>\n

FILE – Elon Musk flashes his T-shirt that reads “DOGE” to the media as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, March 9, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana, File)<\/p>\n

Call to Investigate<\/h2>\n

Paxton gave up running again for attorney general to take on Sen. John Cornyn in the March 3 Republican primary. The request puts Paxton, now running for the Senate, between his tough-on-tech, child-protection record and a powerful conservative donor.<\/p>\n