Grok, the neural network developed by the company behind Elon Musk’s projects, has received an update that enhances its toolkit for producing short generated clips. Musk announced the change on his social network and attached a demonstration clip showing actress Sydney Sweeney. The post drew immediate attention and reignited discussion about the capabilities and limits of AI-driven content creation.
In the shared clip, Sweeney is portrayed speaking; Musk’s message indicated the system can now produce short clips lasting up to ten seconds. Following the release, some users experimented with the model and edited the clip to alter the actress’s appearance, including changing her clothing to a bikini. Previous availability of similar functions had already provoked controversy and led to restrictions in several countries.
Representatives for Sydney Sweeney have not issued a comment on the demonstration or the subsequent edits. Musk himself did not explain why he chose that particular clip for demonstration purposes. Observers noted that while he has reposted many AI-generated pieces, this was the only one among his recent shares that featured a depiction of a real, identifiable person.
The choice of Sweeney as a subject rekindled memories of earlier remarks by Musk on the same social platform: in December he made a public comment about her figure that some readers interpreted as a suggestive remark about physical discomfort. That prior exchange added context to the reaction online, with commentators linking the two incidents and critiquing the decision to showcase a generated likeness of a living actor.
The episode highlights ongoing tensions around AI tools that can generate or modify likenesses of real people. Advocates point to innovation and creative potential, while critics warn of privacy, consent and ethical concerns, especially when easily accessible tools enable users to alter or sexualize images of public figures. As regulators and platforms continue to wrestle with these questions, high-profile demonstrations like this one tend to accelerate public debate.