American guitarist and songwriter Bob Weir, a founding member of the revolutionary, psychedelic jam band Grateful Dead, has died aged 78, his family announced Saturday.
Weir was diagnosed with cancer in July and had beaten the disease, but “succumbed to underlying lung issues,” his family said in a statement on his personal website, without specifying where or when he died.
“For over sixty years, Bobby took to the road,” the statement said. “Bobby will forever be a guiding force whose unique artistry reshaped American music.”
“His work did more than fill rooms with music; it was warm sunlight that filled the soul, building a community, a language, and a feeling of family that generations of fans carry with them.”
Founded in San Francisco by Weir, Jerry Garcia, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Phil Lesh, and Bill Kreutzmann, the Grateful Dead became one of the leading music groups to emerge from the 1960s counterculture movement.
With its trademark improvisational, genre-blending style, the band became known for never performing the same show twice, winning an avid and diverse legion of fans, and selling millions of records.
The group revolutionized fan engagement, as followers — famously known as “Deadheads” — recorded and swapped bootleg tapes of the concerts in a communal, drug-addled camp environment that traveled from stadium to stadium, a trend later copied by other bands’ fandoms.
The rockers disbanded in 1995, a few months after lead guitarist Garcia’s death at the age of 53, and a year after the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Weir would however continue to perform intermittently with other living bandmembers, more recently in the group Dead & Company, which also included guitarist and singer John Mayer.
“As we remember Bobby, it’s hard not to feel the echo of the way he lived,” the family said.
“A man driftin’ and dreamin’, never worrying if the road would lead him home. A child of countless trees. A child of boundless seas,” the family said, quoting the songs “Cassidy” and “Lost Sailor,” written by Weir and the late John Perry Barlow.
Following Weir’s death, 79-year-old drummer Kreutzmann became the last living co-founder of the Grateful Dead.
Bassist Lesh died in October 2024 at the age of 84, while keyboardist McKernan died aged 27 in 1973.
Drummer Mickey Hart, 82, joined the group in 1967.
In 2024, the final year of Joe Biden’s presidency, Weir and other living Grateful Dead members were given Kennedy Center Honors, among the highest American arts awards.
“The Grateful Dead has always been about community, creativity, and exploration in music and presentation,” Weir, Hart, Lesh and Kreutzmann had said at the time.
Advanced wearable technology includes a Chinese-made Lenovo pendant that captures sound and images hands-free
AI pendants.
LAS VEGAS:
Pendants and brooches packed with artificial intelligence abounded at the Consumer Electronics show, using cameras and microphones to watch and listen through the day like a vigilant personal assistant.
The return of the wearable tech comes about a year after the discontinuation of a Humane AI Pin panned by reviewers after it was launched amid high expectations in early 2024.
It also comes as OpenAI chief Sam Altman and renowned industrial designer Jony Ive collaborate on a device for interacting with AI, expected to be ready by next year.
Not everyone is a fan of always-watching neckwear as a fashion accessory.
“Go make some real friends” became common graffiti on New York City subway ads for Friend brand AI pendants late last year to protest “surveillance capitalism.”
Nonetheless, at the CES show in Las Vegas, gadget makers have pitched AI pendants as note-takers or ways to remember beautiful or important moments of each day.
Technical advances including improved chips have helped overcome early problems with poor battery life, buggy software, and stumbling conversations that tainted early pendant models.
China-based laptop titan Lenovo unveiled a prototype pendant from its Motorola subsidiary that allows voice control of its AI assistant Qira.
The device worn around the neck will capture sound and images hands-free.
Amazon made a deal to buy wearable AI startup Bee last year, and Meta acquired AI device company Limitless.
Bee devices are worn on the wrist, belt or lapel, and primarily function as an assistant by taking notes, offering reminders and keeping calendars.
Meanwhile, Meta has made a priority of developing AI “superintelligence” and is successfully packing AI into Ray-Ban glasses.
Companies are taking an array of approaches to wearable AI.
Startup Vocci, which focuses on AI-assisted notetaking, has opted for a ring, while Plaud has a pin as well as a rectangular device barely thicker than a credit card for keeping track of what is being said.
Chinese startup iBuddi came to Las Vegas to present a prototype of a companion medallion aimed at combating screen fatigue.
“Our core philosophy is to build a body-worn AI companion that replaces some phone interactions, rather than adding another screen that absorbs attention,” iBuddi founder Yin Haitian told AFP.
The entrepreneur, who aims for a commercial launch in July, was adamant that iBuddi “is not driven by surveillance” but instead “reacts to the moments that matter instead of continuously recording everything.”
A Looki L1 AI wearable, on the other hand, continuously captures a wearer’s point of view, promising to advise when to avoid another cup of coffee, to comment on places or objects around you, and to summarize each day in a comic strip.
“Consumer expectations regarding privacy haven’t gone away entirely, but they are shifting,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst at tech research and advisory group, Techsponential.
“We’re already being surveilled by billions of smartphones, city camera networks and smart devices that we willingly placed in our homes.”
The analyst does not expect wearable AI to replace smartphones any time soon but sees them becoming common additions to personal tech ensembles along with smart watches, rings and glasses.
For those uncomfortable with idea of omnipresent surveillance, a startup at CES offered “Wearphone” — a mask with built-in earbuds and microphones designed to help keep conversations private.
In 2011, Altman became a partner at startup accelerator Y Combinator (YC), initially working on a part-time basis.In February 2014, he became president of YC. He aimed to expand YC to fund 1,000 new companies per year and sought to broaden the types of companies funded, particularly focusing on “hard technology” startups. In October 2015, Altman was involved in expanding YC’s scope. He contributed $10 million to the initial fund of Y Combinator Research, and announced YC Continuity, a fund to invest in maturing YC companies. In September 2016, Altman’s role at YC expanded to president of YC Group, which included Y Combinator and other units.
Ive has received accolades and honours for his designs and patents. In the United Kingdom, he has been appointed a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI), an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (HonFREng), and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). In 2018, he was awarded the Hawking Fellowship of the Cambridge Union Society. In a 2004 BBC poll of cultural writers, Ive was ranked the most influential person in British culture. His designs have been described as integral to the successes of Apple, one of the world’s largest information technology companies by revenue and market capitalisation.
Silent Hill f writer Ryukishi07 has said the Silent Hill series should be understood as a phenomenon rather than a physical location, reinforcing a theory previously introduced in Silent Hill: The Short Message that divided parts of the fanbase.
Speaking in an interview with Famitsu, translated by GamesRadar+, Ryukishi07 explained that the concept emerged during early discussions about setting Silent Hill f in Japan.
He said he questioned how a series named after an American town could logically exist in another country and raised the issue directly with series producer Motoi Okamoto.
High school student Shimizu Hinako[b] lives in the rural Japanese town of “Ebisugaoka” during the 1960s. She resents her parents as her mother is subservient to her abusive father, while her older sister Junko has left home after getting married. After an argument with her parents, Hinako meets up with her friends Shu, Rinko, and Sakuko, where Shu gives Hinako red capsules to help with her intense tension headaches. A monster wearing a shiromuku appears, engulfing Ebisugaoka in fog and red spider lilies, which kill Sakuko. Hinako escapes but Ebisugaoka has become overrun by monsters. While avenging Sakuko’s death, Hinako loses consciousness and awakens in the Dark Shrine, where she encounters a man called Fox Mask. Despite Fox Mask guiding and caring for her, she is continuously warned by a spirit possessing a doll from her childhood not to trust him.
After awakening in Ebisugaoka, which has become almost entirely deserted, Hinako reunites with Shu and Rinko.
As the bridge leading out of town is broken, the three plan to escape through a mountain path behind Shu’s house. Throughout their journey, Hinako travels back to the Dark Shrine whenever she loses consciousness or sleeps, and continues to follow Fox Mask while there. Fox Mask convinces Hinako to kill Shu, Rinko, and Sakuko to let go of her childhood. Additionally, Hinako participates in three rituals: her right arm is severed and replaced with a fox arm, her back is branded with a hot iron, and the top half of her face is sliced off and replaced with a fox mask. As Hinako prepares to marry Fox Mask, she transforms into the shiromuku.
“I discussed a lot of things with series producer Okamoto in a meeting after I received the request [to write Silent Hill f],” Ryukishi07 said.
“Like ‘Why is it set in Japan?’ and ‘What exactly is Silent Hill?’ In the end, we came to the conclusion that Silent Hill is not just the name of a place, it is a phenomenon.”
The idea aligns with a note found in Silent Hill: The Short Message, which refers to the “Silent Hill Phenomenon” as a recurring supernatural event named after an earlier incident in a US town. That explanation marked a shift away from the series being tied exclusively to a single location.
While the original Silent Hill games were set in and around the fictional American town, later entries have expanded the series’ scope. The focus has increasingly centred on the otherworld, a supernatural realm shaped by the psychological trauma of those who encounter it.
Fan responses to the theory have been mixed, but reactions to Silent Hill f have generally focused on interest in seeing the franchise explore new settings beyond the United States.
It leads for a fourth consecutive weekend in a major success for James Cameron’s storytelling
Avatar: Fire and Ash.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ has once again claimed the top spot at the weekend box office, marking its fourth consecutive weekend as the highest-grossing film in North America.
The latest installment in James Cameron’s long-running sci-fi franchise earned an additional $21.3 million domestically, pushing its North American total to $342.6 million.
On the global stage, the film has now surpassed $1.23 billion in worldwide box office revenue. While these numbers fall short of the record-breaking runs of the previous Avatar films, the performance still places Fire and Ash among the biggest theatrical releases of the year. The film’s success reinforces the continued appeal of Pandora and Cameron’s large-scale, effects-driven storytelling.
The strong showing also contributes to an impressive year for The Walt Disney Company. Avatar: Fire and Ash becomes Disney’s third billion-dollar release from 2025, following the box office success of the live-action Lilo & Stitch and Zootopia 2. Notably, Zootopia 2 continues to perform well in theaters, earning another $10.1 million domestically in its seventh weekend. The animated sequel has now reached a massive $1.65 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film in Walt Disney Animation Studios history.
Recent industry speculation questioned whether future Avatar sequels would move forward if Fire and Ash underperformed. James Cameron previously acknowledged that he was prepared to step away from the franchise if the film failed to meet expectations. However, with the movie comfortably crossing the billion-dollar mark, the likelihood of the remaining planned installments reaching production appears strong.
Set once again on Pandora, Avatar: Fire and Ash follows Jake Sully, Neytiri, and their family as they face new challenges in an expanded Na’vi world. With sustained box office momentum and global interest, the franchise continues to prove its staying power in the modern theatrical landscape.
Development of Avatar began in 1994, when Cameron wrote an 80-page treatment for the film. Filming was supposed to take place after the completion of Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic, for a planned release in 1999; however, according to Cameron, the necessary technology was not yet available to achieve his vision of the film.
Work on the fictional constructed language of the Na’vi began in 2005, and Cameron began developing the screenplay and fictional universe in early 2006. Avatar was officially budgeted at $237 million, due to the groundbreaking array of new visual effects Cameron achieved in cooperation with Weta Digital in Wellington. Other estimates put the cost at between $280 million and $310 million for production and at $150 million for promotion. The film made extensive use of 3D computer graphics and new motion capture filming techniques, and was released for traditional viewing, 3D viewing (using the RealD 3D, Dolby 3D, XpanD 3D, and IMAX 3D formats), and 4D experiences (in selected South Korean theaters).The film also saw Cameron reunite with his Titanic co-producer Jon Landau, whom he would later credit for having a prominent role in the film’s production.
Avatar premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on December 10, 2009, and was released in the United States on December 18.
The film received positive reviews from critics, who highly praised its groundbreaking visual effects, though the story received some criticism for being derivative.
During its theatrical run, the film broke several box office records, including becoming the highest-grossing film of all time, surpassing Cameron’s previous film, Titanic. In July 2019, this position was overtaken by Avengers: Endgame, but with a re-release in China in March 2021, it returned to becoming the highest-grossing film since then. It also became the first film to gross more than $2 billion and the best-selling video title of 2010 in the United States. Adjusted for inflation, Avatar is the second-highest-grossing movie of all time, only behind Gone with the Wind (1939), with a total of a little more than $4 billion.
Avatar was nominated for nine awards at the 82nd Academy Awards, winning three, and received numerous other accolades. The success of the film also led to electronics manufacturers releasing 3D televisions[26] and caused 3D films[27] to increase in popularity. Its success led to the Avatar franchise, which includes the sequels The Way of Water (2022), Fire and Ash (2025), Avatar 4 (2029), and Avatar 5 (2031).
Rachel Reid is expanding the world of Heated Rivalry with a new novel centered on Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander.
The author has confirmed that Unrivaled, the seventh book in her hockey romance series, will be released on September 29. The novel is currently available for pre-order as a Barnes & Noble exclusive.
Unrivaled continues the story of Ilya and Shane following the events of The Long Game, which explored the couple a decade into their relationship. According to the official synopsis, the two hockey stars are no longer hiding their romance. Now married and playing on the same professional team, they are publicly living their lives together for the first time. While many fans celebrate their openness, the book will also address backlash from parts of the hockey community, including criticism fueled by a popular podcast and a growing online movement.
The announcement comes as interest remains high in the television adaptation of Heated Rivalry, which premiered on Crave and HBO Max. Created by Jacob Tierney, the series is based on Reid’s Game Changers novels and focuses on the long-running rivalry-turned-romance between Ilya and Shane. Season 1 adapted the novel Heated Rivalry, while Season 2 is expected to draw primarily from The Long Game.
Tierney has previously stated that the show will continue to center on Ilya and Shane while gradually expanding its universe. The release of Unrivaled provides additional source material as the adaptation moves forward.
With its mix of professional sports, public scrutiny, and long-term romance, Unrivaled is positioned as a significant addition to the Heated Rivalry franchise and a highly anticipated release for fans of hockey romance and LGBTQ+ fiction.
The series had its preview screening at the Image+Nation LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Montreal, Canada on November 23, 2025. The first season then premiered online on Crave on November 28, 2025, and was picked up for streaming on HBO Max in selected territories; Neon in New Zealand; and Movistar Plus+ in Spain.
Heated Rivalry received critical acclaim, with praise for the directing, writing, and the lead actors’ performances and chemistry. It also achieved strong audience viewership, becoming Crave’s most-watched original series to date and HBO Max’s top debut for an acquired, non-animated title since the platform’s launch in 2019.
India EV Market: India’s electric vehicle (EV) market crossed a major milestone in 2025, with total EV sales reaching 2.3 million units, accounting for 8 per cent of all new vehicle registrations, according to the Annual Report: India EV Market 2025 prepared by the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) based on Vahan Portal data. The report, released this week, highlighted that EV adoption accelerated steadily through the year, supported by policy incentives and a sharp festive-led surge in the final quarter.
India’s broader automobile market recorded 28.2 million vehicle registrations in 2025, with two-wheelers remaining dominant, accounting for over 20 million units, or 72 per cent of total sales. Passenger four-wheelers crossed 4.4 million units, while tractors and agricultural vehicles exceeded 1.06 million units, reflecting broadly stable demand across segments. The report noted that overall vehicle sales growth remained steady during Q1 to Q3, followed by a festive-led acceleration in Q4, aided by GST benefits and year-end consumer demand.
Electric two-wheelers continued to anchor EV adoption, with 1.28 million units sold, representing 57 per cent of total EV sales. Electric three-wheelers (L3 and L5 combined) followed with 0.8 million units, or a 35 per cent share, while electric four-wheelers recorded sales of 1.75 lakh units. In the electric four-wheeler segment, the report noted strong momentum in electric goods carriers, particularly in small and light commercial vehicle segments, indicating early progress in the electrification of logistics applications.
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Among states, Uttar Pradesh emerged as India’s largest EV market in 2025, with more than 4 lakh EV units sold, accounting for 18 per cent of total EV sales. Maharashtra accounted for 2.66 lakh units, or 12 per cent, while Karnataka recorded 2 lakh units, or 9 per cent. Together, these three states accounted for over 40 per cent of national EV volumes.
Despite lower absolute vehicle sales, states such as Delhi, at 14 per cent, Kerala, at 12 per cent, and Goa, at 11 per cent, recorded higher EV-to-ICE ratios. The report also noted that Tripura, at 18 per cent, and Assam, at 14 per cent, recorded robust EV-to-ICE ratios in 2025.
The IESA report stated that the government determined the electric three-wheeler segment had reached a sufficient level of market maturity and penetration, at around 32 per cent. A major policy development during the year was the conclusion of India’s largest-ever electric bus tender. Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) announced the successful completion of a 10,900 electric bus tender under the Rs 10,900 crore PM E-DRIVE scheme, aimed at accelerating green public transport.
The report indicated that while EV penetration remained strongest in light vehicle segments, the government’s focus on electrifying heavy commercial vehicles, supported by dedicated charging infrastructure development, continued to strengthen the long-term electrification roadmap, positioning India’s EV ecosystem for sustained growth beyond 2025.
LONDON: UK police said a falling tree killed a man in England after record winds brought by Storm Goretti, and nearly 40,000 homes in France were still without power Saturday.Some 15 people have died in weather-related accidents this week across Europe as gale-force winds and storms caused travel mayhem, shut schools, and cut power to hundreds of thousands in freezing temperatures.The storm barrelled through southwestern Cornwall and parts of Wales overnight Thursday to Friday. Gusts of up to 160 kilometres per hour (100 miles per hour) felled trees and left tens of thousands of homes without power.A man was found dead in the town of Helston in Cornwall on Friday after a tree fell onto a caravan, Devon and Cornwall police said in a statement.Most of the UK remains under a weather warning for snow and ice on Saturday, the Met Office national weather agency said. It warned that black ice could cause “disruption” in Scotland and northern England.Heavy snowfall followed by the storm meant that some 250 schools in Scotland were closed for much of the first week back after the Christmas break.Around 28,000 homes were still without power at the start of the weekend in southwestern England and the Midlands, according to the network operator National Grid.Storm Goretti also ploughed through other parts of northern Europe, with at its peak some 380,000 homes in France without power.But by 6:00 pm local time (1700 GMT), the number of households in the dark was just under 40,000, according to the country’s grid operator.In northern Germany, long-distance rail traffic slowly resumed on Saturday, having been completely suspended on Friday due to another storm named Elli, Deutsche Bahn said.In the far north of the country, the port city of Hamburg, where large amounts of snow fell, remained particularly disrupted, it added.A number of rail services will still not be restored on Saturday, notably those linking Hamburg to Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Hanover.Services from Hamburg to the western Ruhr region or to Berlin are expected to be restored over the course of Saturday, it said.
On freezing, dark winter days, burrowing beneath the comforter and staying there may sound like perfection – sadly, though, it can have big health consequences.
The practice now widely referred to as ”bed rotting” became popular on social media in the late 2010s. It referred to extended staycations in bed that can last for minutes or even days.
And Gen Z are major fans –nearly a quarter of those aged 14 to 30 are “bed rotting,” according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. More than 50 percent of America’s youth admit to spending more than 30 minutes in bed before going to sleep. And, 27 percent say they do the same thing in the morning before they get up.
“There’s a strong circular link between depressed mood leading to inactivity – meaning, the more depressed you feel, the fewer activities you do, leading to a more depressed mood and more inactivity,” Dr. Nicole Hollingshead, a clinical assistant professor at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, said in a statement.
Bill Murray lays in his bed in the 1993 film Groundhog Day. Staying in bed for extended periods of time has become a Gen Z trend that experts warn could be dangerous for your health. (Columbia Tristar Films)
The influence of ‘hurkle durkle’
Bed rotting may have become popular recently on social media, but its origins date back centuries. In the 19th century, Scottish people reportedly used the phrase “hurkle durkle” to describe lingering under the covers long after it was time to get up.
The term “bed rot” has been used for decades, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, but the modern interpretation came following a viral tweet about “rotting in bed” from Gen Z musician Conan Gray and other social media posts.
In the years since, TikTok users have posted videos of bed rotting that have garnered millions of views.
In the most extreme cases, videos show beds and floors covered with clothes and other items, including old food and drink containers.
While people have reported that bed rotting improves their mental health, what do experts say?
Giving yourself time to unplug from the world can reduce stress and anxiety levels and improve attitude, according to the Mayo Clinic. That’s especially true for people who practically have their smartphones stapled to their hands every minute. Smartphone use has been tied to depression and anxiety for both adolescents and adults.
“It’s good to take time out and reflect about what’s going on in your life,” Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Meghan Galili said. “Becoming more mindful of how you’re feeling, physically and emotionally, can improve mental clarity. But only if it’s done correctly.”
But she added: “Humans are creatures of habit. So, I worry about these periods of intentionally unproductive time becoming a recurring pattern in your life.”
Spending hours or even days in bed can further negatively affect mental health, other experts warned.
The practice can become a way to avoid responsibilities, M. Clark Canine, a licensed mental health counselor, told Oklahoma’s News on 6. “If you are doing it because of anxiety or depression, then you are not coping. You are hiding.”
“It’s very tempting,” Samantha Boardman, a psychiatrist and clinical instructor at Weill-Cornell Medical College, told CNBC. “But the reality is, many people after they engage in some extended period of bed rotting, they don’t feel that much better. If anything, they feel a little bit more drained.”
Resting with reason
There are some physical benefits to bed rotting. It can give tired muscles and joints a rest, and people can catch up on sleep and strengthen their immune system.
More than a third of American adults don’t get enough sleep, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not getting enough is tied to a higher risk of hazardous accidents, negative mood, reduced focus and mental capacity as well as chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
However, people who try to solve their deprivation by bed rotting can actually worsen the problem by disrupting their sleep-wake cycle, Dr. Anne Marie Morse, a Geisinger Health System physician, cautioned. The cycle helps to regulate heart rate and blood pressure.
“These trends may not be inherently harmful, but it’s important to remember that the bed’s primary purpose is for sleep,” she said.
Experts say people who practice bed rotting should set limits for themselves and make sure to move around frequently (Getty/iStock)
The smartest way to practice bed rotting is to do so sparingly.
“To avoid becoming destructive to your mental health, hurkle-durkling and bed-rotting should be used infrequently,” Hollingshead advised.
That may mean bed-rotting sessions with a hard limit, and setting an alarm on your phone when you need to get up. Dr. Marjorie Soltis, an assistant professor of neurology at Duke University School of Medicine, recommends staying in bed no longer than 30 minutes to an hour.
It could also mean taking trips to grab a snack, run to the restroom, get water, go outside or stretch. Those are activities that can increase happy hormones, such as serotonin and dopamine.
What you do while bed rotting also matters for your health – ditch the electronic device for a book or artistic project.
“Bed rotting is supposed to leave you feeling refreshed. So, ask yourself: When you’re done rotting, do you feel energized or depleted?” the Cleveland Clinic suggests. “If it isn’t helping, stop doing it.”
Grok, the built-in chatbot on X, is facing intense scrutiny after acknowledging it generated and shared an AI image depicting two young girls in sexualized attire.
In a public post on X, Grok admitted the content “violated ethical standards” and “potentially U.S. laws on child sexual abuse material (CSAM).” The chatbot added, “It was a failure in safeguards, and I’m sorry for any harm caused. xAI is reviewing to prevent future issues.”
That admission alone is alarming. What followed revealed a far broader pattern.
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The fallout from this incident has triggered global scrutiny, with governments and safety groups questioning whether AI platforms are doing enough to protect children. (Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Grok quietly restricts image tools to paying users after backlash
As criticism mounted, Grok confirmed it has begun limiting image generation and editing features to paying subscribers only. In a late-night reply on X, the chatbot stated that image tools are now locked behind a premium subscription, directing users to sign up to regain access.
The apology that raised more questions
Grok’s apology appeared only after a user prompted the chatbot to write a heartfelt explanation for people lacking context. In other words, the system did not proactively address the issue. It responded because someone asked it to.
Around the same time, researchers and journalists uncovered widespread misuse of Grok’s image tools. According to monitoring firm Copyleaks, users were generating nonconsensual, sexually manipulated images of real women, including minors and well-known figures.
After reviewing Grok’s publicly accessible photo feed, Copyleaks identified a conservative rate of roughly one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute, based on images involving real people with no clear indication of consent. The firm says the misuse escalated quickly, shifting from consensual self-promotion to large-scale harassment enabled by AI.
Copyleaks CEO and co-founder Alon Yamin said, “When AI systems allow the manipulation of real people’s images without clear consent, the impact can be immediate and deeply personal.”
Grok admitted it generated and shared an AI image that violated ethical standards and may have broken U.S. child protection laws.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Sexualized images of minors are illegal
This is not a gray area. Generating or distributing sexualized images of minors is a serious criminal offense in the United States and many other countries. Under U.S. federal law, such content is classified as child sexual abuse material. Penalties can include five to 20 years in prison, fines up to $250,000 and mandatory sex offender registration. Similar laws apply in the U.K. and France.
In 2024, a Pennsylvania man received nearly eight years in prison for creating and possessing deepfake CSAM involving child celebrities. That case set a clear precedent. Grok itself acknowledged this legal reality in its post, stating that AI images depicting minors in sexualized contexts are illegal.
The scale of the problem is growing fast
A July report from the Internet Watch Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks and removes child sexual abuse material online, shows how quickly this threat is accelerating. Reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery jumped by 400% in the first half of 2025 alone. Experts warn that AI tools lower the barrier to potential abuse. What once required technical skill or access to hidden forums can now happen through a simple prompt on a mainstream platform.
Real people are being targeted
The harm is not abstract. Reuters documented cases where users asked Grok to digitally undress real women whose photos were posted on X. In multiple documented cases, Grok fully complied. Even more disturbing, users targeted images of a 14-year-old actress Nell Fisher from the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Grok later admitted there were isolated cases in which users received images depicting minors in minimal clothing. In another Reuters investigation, a Brazilian musician described watching AI-generated bikini images of herself spread across X after users prompted Grok to alter a harmless photo. Her experience mirrors what many women and girls are now facing.
Governments respond worldwide
The backlash has gone global. In France, multiple ministers referred X to an investigative agency over possible violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires platforms to prevent and mitigate the spread of illegal content. Violations can trigger heavy fines. In India, the country’s IT ministry gave xAI 72 hours to submit a report detailing how it plans to stop the spread of obscene and sexually explicit material generated by Grok. Grok has also warned publicly that xAI could face potential probes from the Department of Justice or lawsuits tied to these failures.
LEAKED META DOCUMENTS SHOW HOW AI CHATBOTS HANDLE CHILD EXPLOITATION
Researchers later found Grok was widely used to create nonconsensual, sexually altered images of real women, including minors.(Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Concerns grow over Grok’s safety and government use
The incident raises serious concerns about online privacy, platform security and the safeguards designed to protect minors.
Elon Musk, the owner of X and founder of xAI, had not offered a public response at the time of publication. That silence comes at a sensitive time. Grok has been authorized for official government use under an 18-month federal contract. This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.
Over the past year, Grok has been accused by critics of spreading misinformation about major news events, promoting antisemitic rhetoric and sharing misleading health information. It also competed directly with tools like ChatGPT and Gemini while operating with fewer visible safety restrictions. Each controversy raises the same question. Can a powerful AI tool be deployed responsibly without strong oversight and enforcement?
What parents and users should know
If you encounter sexualized images of minors or other abusive material online, report it immediately. In the United States, you can contact the FBI tip line or seek help from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Do not download, share, screenshot or interact with the content in any way. Even viewing or forwarding illegal material can expose you to serious legal risk.
Parents should also talk with children and teens about AI image tools and social media prompts. Many of these images are created through casual requests that do not feel dangerous at first. Teaching kids to report content, close the app and tell a trusted adult can stop harm from spreading further.
Platforms may fail. Safeguards may lag. But early reporting and clear conversations at home remain one of the most effective ways to protect children online.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
The Grok scandal highlights a dangerous reality. As AI spreads faster, these systems amplify harm at an unprecedented scale. When safeguards fail, real people suffer, and children face serious risk. At the same time, trust cannot depend on apologies issued after harm occurs. Instead, companies must earn trust through strong safety design, constant monitoring and real accountability when problems emerge.
Should any AI system be approved for government or mass public use before it proves it can reliably protect children and prevent abuse? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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Sri Lanka players celebrate a wicket during the third T20I against Pakistan at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, January 11, 2025. — X@OfficialSLC
Wanindu Hasaranga takes four wickets for Sri Lanka.
Captain Salman Agha hits 45 off 12 balls for Pakistan.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka scores 34 off nine balls.
Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in the rain-reduced third and final T20I to level the three-match T20I series 1-1 at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing 161, Pakistan managed 146-8 in their 20 overs. The visitors suffered an early setback as opener Sahibzada Farhan was dismissed for nine off seven balls, including two boundaries, by Eshan Malinga.
Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha joined Saim Ayub, hitting consecutive boundaries to push the team past the 50-run mark in the fourth over.
However, Matheesha Pathirana broke the 51-run partnership by dismissing Agha for 45 off 12 balls, which included five fours and three sixes, leaving Pakistan at 60-2 in 3.4 overs.
The slide continued as Wanindu Hasaranga struck twice in his first over, removing Ayub for six off five balls and Usman Khan for one off three deliveries, leaving Pakistan reeling at 67-4 in 4.5 overs.
Khawaja Nafay and Mohammad Nawaz then steadied the innings with a 49-run partnership, helping Pakistan cross the 100-run mark in the eighth over.
Hasaranga returned to claim Nafay’s wicket for 26 off 15 balls, including a four and a six, ending the stand at 116-5 in 9.1 overs.
He then removed Shadab Khan for six off three balls to continue Pakistan’s collapse.
Pathirana struck again, clean bowling Nawaz for 28 off 15 balls, featuring two fours and two sixes. With 20 runs required in the final over and only two wickets in hand, Pakistan were left struggling.
Faheem Ashraf was run out attempting a quick single, and the green shirts managed only five runs in the final over, finishing 146-8, with Mohammad Wasim Jr unbeaten on seven and Naseem Shah on one.
For Sri Lanka, Hasaranga led the charge with figures of 4/35 in three overs, while Pathirana picked up two wickets and Malinga added one more.
Earlier, Dasun Shanaka and Kusal Mendis struck brisk innings as Sri Lanka posted 160 for six in 12 overs against Pakistan in the rain-hit third game.
Pakistan had won the toss and opted to bowl first in the match, reduced to 12 overs per side after rain delayed the game by around two hours.
After being asked to bat first, Sri Lanka lost opener Pathum Nissanka for a duck in the very first over to Naseem Shah.
Kamil Mishara played aggressively, striking 20 runs off eight balls, including three fours and a six, before falling to Mohammad Wasim Jr, leaving the hosts at 22-2 in 1.5 overs.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Mendis then steadied the innings, putting on a 32-run partnership and taking Sri Lanka past the 50-run mark in the fifth over.
De Silva was dismissed for 22 off 15 balls by Mohammad Nawaz on the first delivery of the sixth over, leaving the score at 54-3.
Mendis was well supported by Charith Asalanka, with the pair taking the total past 100 runs in the ninth over.
However, Pakistan struck back as Wasim Jr removed Mendis for 30 off 16 balls, ending a 46-run partnership. Faheem Ashraf then dismissed Asalanka for 21 off 13 balls, leaving Sri Lanka at 102-5 in 9.1 overs.
Shanaka and Janith Liyanage added late momentum, with Shanaka hitting five sixes in a 34-run cameo off nine balls before falling to Wasim Jr.
Liyanage remained unbeaten on 22 off eight balls, including three fours and a six, while Wanindu Hasaranga finished not out on one.
For Pakistan, Wasim Jr finished with figures of 3-54 in three overs, while Naseem Shah, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf took one wicket each.
