Grok, the artificial intelligence tool created by Elon Musk, posted online about  "lapses in safeguards" that led to the generation of lewd images involving children.

San Francisco

The release of Open AI's ChatGPT has accelerated the development of artificial intelligence and warnings about its impact on society.

Rise of AI

Grok's AI tool came under fire after it posted AI-generated sexualized images of children, prompting the company to acknowledge lapses in its safeguards and promise urgent fixes. This incident has contributed to growing public distrust of artificial intelligence, with experts noting that even developers often do not fully understand how generative AI systems produce such content.

The controversy has also sparked discussions about the broader challenges of regulating AI, as federal officials have been slow to act, leaving states to take the lead. Public sentiment, according to recent polls, favors increased regulation of AI, even if it slows industry growth, rather than prioritizing international competition.

Grok AI tool says "lapses in safeguards" led to lewd images

Trouble again, this time for posting AI-generated sexualized images of children. So in response, a post on Grok's ex-account says it is urgently fixing what it calls lapses in safeguards. This latest controversy comes as more Americans are expressing a general distrust and even hatred of AI. So let's talk to technology journalist and host of the Rip Current podcast, Jacob, joining us now. Somebody give me Jacob's last name in my ear. I appreciate it. It's just Jacob in the teleprompter. Jacob Ward, thank you so much. Your family line would want me to say your full name as we go through this segment. So this Grok case, it is pretty horrifying. It looks like even Musk's platform says there's a need for a fix. How does something like this happen? Well, happy new year, Reid. It is really probably not even clear to the makers of the platform itself. This is the nature of generative AI is that it vacuums up a planet's worth of data and then regurgitates it as a product. But people who make this stuff don't even really understand why it does what it does. And that's part of why The New York Times is posing the question this morning, why do Americans hate AI? That is really the fundamental question that's sort of facing the industry at the moment is this incredible American animosity that has been building toward this stuff. And I think it's fundamentally because of the ways in which these companies don't really understand how their product does what it does. And if it does go on to do what they have promised, which is, for instance, make a tremendously transformative effect on the economy, that's going to wipe out people's jobs. That's going to wind up meaning that who gets a job, who gets a loan, who gets bail is all going to get determined by this technology. All that seems to be just scaring the heck out of Americans going into the new year. And this Grok episode is just the icing on the cake here. Well, and then we see the plan by President Trump and so many tech leaders who've gathered at the White House to throw tens of millions, if not billions of dollars in what to me looks like a modern era space race, right? The U.S. versus China in the AI race. They're throwing money at the problem, but they're also elected officials. How do they square this distrust and even distaste for AI with the fact that they are beholden to voters who put them there in office? Well, I think they're in a really tough position politically because on the one hand, there's very little you can say that's bright about the American economy at the moment in terms of its growth potential, except for AI. The AI companies, the Magnificent Seven, are accounting for most of the recent stock gains. So if you're an elected official, that's a big part of this. You've probably also been sold on the idea that there's some sort of jingoistic reason to support this industry in its race against China. But you know, a recent Gallup poll looked at that question with voters and voters don't care at all whether China gets ahead on this stuff and would much rather see it regulated, even if that slows the industries down. And so elected officials at the federal level are continuing a pattern that we had seen long ago with social media, which was no regulation whatsoever. This is, of course, why the states are stepping in here is because the federal regulators have been entirely asleep at the wheel with AI so far, Reid. Well, Jacob, this is something I could spend an hour podcast talking with you about. And so I hope we get to have you back here on CBS News 24-7. I've enjoyed talking to you immensely. I appreciate you so much. Jacob Ward, have a great day. Thank you.

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Caracas

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Jerusalem

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Al Mukalla

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Grok AI tool says "lapses in safeguards" led to lewd images

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