Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney has sought to clarify his recent remarks concerning the use of X’s AI tool, Grok, in generating nonconsensual sexual images of minors and women. Sweeney stated that his criticisms were directed at a government official who he accused of exerting pressure on publicly traded companies to remove a speech app linked to their political adversaries.
The controversy erupted around the weekend of January 9, when reports surfaced that users on X were leveraging Grok to produce sexually explicit images involving minors and women. This prompted a response from U.S. Senators Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Edward Markey (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), who penned a letter to Apple and Google, urging them to remove both the Grok and X apps from their app stores due to the “mass generation of nonconsensual sexualized images of women and children.” The senators have requested a written reply from the tech giants by January 23.
In reaction to the senators’ letter, which was reported by MacRumors and shared on X, Sweeney expressed his views on January 9. He characterized the senators as “gatekeepers” attempting to suppress political opposition, while asserting that no major AI company is without faults, as all have documented instances of their technologies “going off the rails.” His comments garnered considerable attention, eliciting both criticism and support from users on the platform.
Following a critical article from PC Gamer on January 11, which accused Sweeney of defending an “unprecedented online sexual humiliation machine,” Sweeney vehemently rejected the outlet’s portrayal of his statements, labeling it a “vile lie” that misrepresented his position.
This is a vile lie by PC Gamer. I criticized a government official for pressuring Apple and Google to block a speech app owned by their political opponent, deplatforming 500,000,000 users on the pretense of stopping a small number of users from distributing disgusting content.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) January 11, 2026
In a response to Sweeney’s comments, John-Daniel Trask, CEO of Autohive, expressed gratitude for Sweeney’s stance, characterizing the situation as a “power play.” Sweeney then suggested the possibility of a coordinated effort among certain groups targeting individuals for criticism. He reiterated his belief that the narrative presented by PC Gamer was an “absolutely disgusting disregard for the truth and for editorial practices.”
While Sweeney’s frustration with the coverage is evident, he has also made clear that the use of Grok to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and other nonconsensual exploitative images is “bad.” He reiterated that “every significant AI has instances of this” and acknowledged that companies are making “their best efforts to stop it,” though he maintained that all are “imperfect.”
1) That is bad.
2) Every significant AI has instances of this.
3) Every significant AI company makes their best efforts to stop it.
4) All are imperfect.
Thus the combined danger of selective enforcement against political opponents, and distribution monopolies.— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) January 9, 2026
The term CSAM, as defined by the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), refers to any visual content depicting a child being sexually abused or exploited, including photos, videos, and AI-generated images. RAINN emphasizes that CSAM is distinct from child pornography, as it serves as evidence of child sexual abuse, which is illegal to create, distribute, or possess.
The ongoing discourse surrounding AI-generated content and its implications raises significant questions about the ethical responsibilities of technology companies, especially as lawmakers and advocacy groups push for greater accountability and stricter regulations in the industry.
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