Elon Musk is in the midst of another internet firestorm, this time due to posting an AI-generated video that appears to feature Sydney Sweeney.
Although Musk positioned the post as a technical demonstration of the changing AI tools of X, the action has brought back uncomfortable issues of consent, ethics, and the platform continuing to grapple with explicit content.
Elon Musk’s AI Video Post Triggers Unease Online
The brief video was created using the Grok Imagine text-to-video option and represents a Hollywood-style scene set in a spaceship. Musk boasted about the technology upgrade, saying that Grok videos are now longer and have better audio. However, rather than the innovation, a large portion of the focus soon moved to who was in the video.
The AI-generated woman in the video is very similar to Sweeney, although the initial prompt did not mention her name. That fact has further intensified the controversy. The scenario highlights to most viewers a rising alarm regarding generative AI: the ease with which recognizable faces can be displayed in content without any consent or responsibility.
The fact that Musk chose to amplify the video himself made the moment seem less of a product demonstration and more like a provocation. Sweeney has not been represented, and X has not explained how Grok Imagine manages likeness protection. The silence has given way to speculation and criticism.
This is not occurring in a vacuum. Both European regulators and the California authorities are already investigating X on its treatment of sexually explicit material. Against that backdrop, showcasing an AI system capable of producing realistic human figures feels, to critics, tone-deaf at best.
When Elon Musk Joked About Sydney Sweeney’s Body
The timing also matters. Only a few weeks ago, Musk was criticized because of a post that many people took as a vulgar joke about Sweeney’s body. “Can’t be easy,” he wrote, implying the burden on her back.
Although Musk presented it as a simple joke, the response was immediate, with users accusing him of objectifying the actress. Combined, the events create a trend that critics claim crosses the border between tech excitement and straight-up bad taste.
In case you missed it: Sydney Sweeney’s Brutal Fate In Sequel To $218 Million Hit ‘The Housemaid’ Revealed
Supporters, meanwhile, say Musk is simply pushing boundaries, technological and cultural alike. Still, with the increasing strength and availability of AI tools, instances such as this one underscore a key conflict of the digital era: innovation outpacing norms, laws, and common expectations.
Whether Musk’s post is remembered as a harmless flex or another misstep may depend less on intent and more on how platforms choose to handle the human faces caught in the algorithm’s glow.
You might also like to read: ‘Harry Potter’ Fans Explode Over Rumored “Woke” Dark Lady Voldemort Casting for HBO Series
