Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has come under fire after users were able to generate illegal images of minors on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

The AI, developed by Musk’s company xAI, reportedly generated such images due to “laps in safeguards” as posted from Grok on Friday, January 2.

Users shared screenshots online where Grok’s public media tab was filled with sexualized depictions of minors in minimal clothing. xAI noted that child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is illegal and prohibited and stressed that it is “urgently fixing” the system to prevent similar incidents.

Grok stated, “These are isolated cases, but we recognize lapses and are working to block such requests entirely.”

The incident has drawn international attention. French authorities reported the images to prosecutors and referred the matter to the media regulator, Arcom, over possible breaches of the EU Digital Services Act.

Last year, Grok was part of repeated controversies, including posting antisemitic content and other offensive materials, directly raising questions about its safety guardrails. 

A new study conducted by the video-editing company Kapwing found that more than one in five videos recommended to new YouTube users are “AI slop.”

AI slop, also known simply as slop, refers to digital content created by generative artificial intelligence, specifically showcasing low effort and cheap quality content. There’s an overwhelming volume of production of these AI videos, which are designed to farm views and advertising revenue.

In the study, Kapwign assessed 15,000 of YouTube’s most popular channels, including the top 100 channels in every country and found that 278 channels were constituted entirely of AI slop.

Together, these channels have accumulated more than 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers. Leveraging this audience, the channels generated an estimated $117 million (£90 million) annually.

To measure how content went viral on the platform, researchers created a fresh YouTube account without any personal preferences or interests. It was found that out of the first 500 recommended videos, 104 were entirely AI slop, while roughly one-third fell into a broader category of brainrot content, which is also another form of low-quality and meaningless AI-generated content.

These findings indicate a rapidly growing ecosystem of algorithm-driven content spreading across social media platforms, including YouTube.

The Guardian reported earlier this year that around 10% of YouTube’s fastest-growing channels are entirely based on AI slop, despite the platform’s efforts to curb “inauthentic content.”

Interestingly, many of the largest AI slop channels attract global audiences. In Spain, trending AI channels gained 20 million followers while similar channels with millions of subscribers exist in the United States, Egypt, Brazil, and India.

Analysts state that the popularity of AI slop stems from its absurdity, lack of narrative complexity, and algorithm amplification. While social media platforms say they prioritise quality content, researchers argue that the reach of these AI slop channels indicates how effectively they exploit recommendation systems and are deeply embedded in the modern attention economy. 

In line with various top-notch laptop refreshes reportedly set to grab spotlight at the world’s biggest tech conference, the HP OMEN 15 is also gearing up for a comeback at CES 2026.

Citing sources, Windows Latest noted that HP OMEN 15’s return marks a return for its entire lineup that debuted in 2020 and received a refresh in 2021, and then was phased out in 2022 as HP shifted focus to the OMEN 16.

To radiate a vibe of renewal andHP’s OMEN 15 to Make Waves at CES 2026 with New OLED Screen and AI Features revamp, the new OMEN 15 could pack updated silicon, an OLED screen, and latency-focused enhancements without making drastic changes to the laptop’s design.

Regarding the OMEN 15, leaks also painted a picture of options ranging from an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H Panther Lake or an AMD Ryzen AI 7 450, with graphics options reaching up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070. This positions the device within a strong performance tier without venturing into the highest GPU class.

The most notable feature is anticipated to be a 3K 120Hz OLED display with a claimed 0.2ms response time, prioritising contrast and responsiveness for a variety of uses, from gaming to work. However, details such as brightness, burn-in protection, and whether the OLED option is widely available remain unconfirmed.

For those considering investing in OMEN 15, waiting would be a wise decision if they desired OLED and the latest CPU. But those in urgent need of a laptop should consider current options, as insights into pricing, thermals, and GPU performance of HP OMEN 15 remains to be shared.

Last but not the least, a tempting aspect is that the laptop might deliver up to a 42% FPS improvement in certain games through OMEN AI, though results may vary.