The introduction of generative AI technology has changed how explicit images can be created and distributed. No longer is this content restricted to dark web internet forums – now it can be generated on sites used by millions of Americans. In recent months, mounting evidence has shown that Grok, the AI tool developed by xAI, has been used to generate sexually explicit and degrading images of real people without their consent.
What makes this especially troubling is not just that the images are synthetic. It is that they are created from ordinary photos of real individuals and altered instantly into explicit material. With new technology like Grok, the barrier to entry has effectively disappeared, and in some instances, the platform even encourages users to engage in this activity.
When AI systems generate sexualized images of children, they create material that can be used for grooming, coercion, blackmail, and further abuse, and this can follow a child for years. Especially as the tools are embedded within large social media platforms, the content can circulate faster than parents or schools can respond.
Missouri families are already grappling with the rise of deepfake pornography. Nationally, we have seen an explosion in non-consensual intimate imagery created through artificial intelligence, some of which has involved minors. In fact, a report from nonprofit Thorn found that about ten percent of minors say their friends or classmates have created deepfake pornography of other children.
This broader trend becomes even more troubling when looking at the recent analyses showing that millions of sexualized images were generated by Grok in short time frames, including thousands that reportedly depicted minors. The combination of rapid generation and wide-scale distribution significantly magnifies both the harm and the difficulty of remediation for victims of the technology.
I think it’s also important to note that this is not an argument against artificial intelligence as a concept. AI has legitimate and beneficial applications across medicine, agriculture, logistics, and business, and Missouri businesses are already integrating these tools in responsible ways. But with that being said, no technology exists outside the rule of law.
When technology enables the rapid creation of non-consensual sexual imagery, particularly involving minors, our statutes must be unambiguous, enforceable, and backed by meaningful penalties. Missouri has always taken child protection seriously. We have strengthened trafficking laws, increased penalties for sexual exploitation, and made clear that the safety of children is not negotiable. The rise of AI-generated sexual imagery is simply the next front in that fight.
Lawmakers in Jefferson City should take up this issue with urgency. Technology will continue to evolve, but the law must keep pace. Missouri should not wait for harm to become widespread before acting.
Missouri Pro Life Leader
