Who Will Investigate Elon Musk's AI Porn? Ted Cruz's Task
A Test of Principle: Ted Cruz and the Accountability of Big Tech
Texas Senator Ted Cruz has long positioned himself as a champion of free speech, accountability, and the protection of children online. His efforts in 2023, particularly with the bipartisan Take It Down Act, demonstrated a clear stance against the spread of nonconsensual sexual imagery—especially when it involves minors. This law sent a strong message that powerful platforms cannot escape scrutiny when they enable sexual exploitation.
However, recent developments have raised questions about whether Cruz's commitment to holding Big Tech accountable extends to all companies, regardless of their political connections. The artificial intelligence system developed by Elon Musk, Grok, has been found to generate nonconsensual, sexualized images of women and children. According to a recent study, over 3 million such images have been produced, with 23,000 involving minors.
These failures are not just technical glitches—they are predictable and reproducible issues that have drawn attention from regulators worldwide. If a foreign platform were responsible for such actions, Washington would be demanding answers. Yet, when an American company owned by a politically connected billionaire is involved, the response often seems muted.
This brings up a critical question: Will Cruz continue to ensure the safety of women and children online?
Platforms should not be allowed to automate or scale sexual exploitation, and victims should not be left to police abuse enabled by technology. An AI system capable of generating sexualized images of minors raises serious concerns about potential violations of existing criminal, civil, and consumer protection laws.
xAI, the company behind Grok, has claimed that the issue has been resolved. However, multiple reports indicate that users can still create these harmful images. These images, which Sen. Cruz himself has called "unlawful," highlight a major flaw in the system's design and oversight.
At the core of the problem is the fact that Grok was made available to millions of users who have the ability to generate harmful nonconsensual sexual images. This is not just a technical issue—it is a matter of consumer protection, child online safety, and the dignity of Americans.
The situation warrants a congressional investigation, and Sen. Cruz chairs the very committee that could lead such an inquiry. He should announce investigative hearings immediately to address these concerns.
Cruz fought hard for the Take It Down Act, but now he faces a test of whether he will uphold his principles when it comes to powerful allies. Will he denounce Elon Musk's AI image generator after it produced sexualized images of women and children? Will he use his position to hold Grok accountable? Will he stand with his constituents, including vulnerable children, and take action to protect them?
To ignore these issues would be to tacitly accept the status quo. Texans—and all Americans—need to know that their senator's commitment to child safety applies equally to everyone, even when it is not politically convenient.
J.B. Branch is the Big Tech accountability advocate for Public Citizen's Congress Watch division.
