Texas Democrats are turning up the heat on Attorney General Ken Paxton, urging him to put Elon Musk’s AI toy under a legal microscope.
More than 40 Texas House Democrats, led by Rep. Mihaela Plesa of Dallas, sent Paxton a formal request on Monday to investigate Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot built into Musk’s social platform X. Lawmakers say users have been able to prompt the tool to spit out sexualized images that then spread across the site, including depictions of minors. The push arrives just as a new state AI law kicks in and spotlights a high-profile tech figure with deep ties to conservative donors.
Plesa told colleagues she came across a sexualized image of Renee Nicole Good while scrolling X and argued that the state needs “clear pathways” for victims to get those images taken down and to pursue legal remedies. As reported by The Dallas Morning News, more than 40 House Democrats signed a letter asking Paxton to open an inquiry into whether Grok’s outputs violate state law or the platform’s own rules.
Grok, developed by xAI and built directly into X, can generate both text and images. Users have leveraged those tools to create sexualized depictions of women and minors, and the company has recently restricted image generation and editing features to paying subscribers in response to growing criticism. Reuters reports that regulators in Europe and Asia have also raised concerns and that the European Commission has ordered X to preserve internal documents related to Grok while officials review compliance.
New state law gives Paxton tools to act
The Democrats’ request lands just days after a new state measure took effect. The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act became law on Jan. 1 and explicitly prohibits developing or deploying AI “with the sole intent” of producing child pornography or certain unlawful deepfake images. The statute gives primary enforcement power to the attorney general and directs that office to operate an online complaint portal, according to the Texas Legislature.
Paxton’s calculation: precedent and politics
Paxton is no stranger to high-profile tech fights. He has touted a history of aggressive enforcement work, including multibillion-dollar settlements with major platforms, a track record Democrats now cite as proof that he already has the tools to act on Grok. That enforcement résumé now sits alongside Paxton’s broader political ambitions, including a potential run for U.S. Senate, as detailed by The Texas Tribune.
What Paxton Could Do Next
If Paxton decides to move, his options are not limited to a sternly worded press release. He could open a civil inquiry, issue subpoenas or civil investigative demands seeking information on Grok’s training data and moderation records, or use the new AI statute to seek takedowns and preservation of evidence.
Plesa has argued that the statute gives Paxton broad latitude. She suggested that he “has the authority to ask X to shut down until we figure out what’s going on,” a step she raised in comments reported by The Dallas Morning News.
Legal implications
Under the new AI law, the attorney general has exclusive authority to enforce core protections, and the statute does not grant victims a private right of action. In practical terms, that means meaningful enforcement will hinge on whether Paxton’s office decides to intervene.
The law also builds in procedural steps, including notice requirements and a cure period for alleged violations, which will shape how and when civil penalties or other remedies can be imposed, according to the bill text posted by the Texas Legislature.
The Democrats’ letter takes a controversy already drawing international scrutiny and plants it squarely in Austin, turning a broader platform-safety debate into an early test of Texas’ new AI rules. Whatever Paxton decides to do next, whether launching a formal inquiry, demanding documents, or sitting it out, will offer an early glimpse of how the state intends to balance its fresh AI guardrails with the political crosscurrents surrounding one of the tech world’s most polarizing figures.
