U.S. Teachers Union Pulls Its Presence From X Citing “Sickening” AI-Generated Images of Children

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) announced it will leave the social platform X, saying the site’s handling of AI-generated content involving children has become unacceptable. AFT President Randi Weingarten criticised X’s AI chatbot, Grok, for creating and enabling distribution of non-consensual, sexualised images of minors and women, calling the content “sickening” and warning it posed a serious safety concern. Ms. Weingarten said the problem was compounded by the platform’s broader decline since Elon Musk’s 2022 takeover. The union represents about 1.8 million education workers and will deactivate both its and her personal accounts in protest, underscoring a decision to put child safety ahead of maintaining its digital presence.

Weingarten said she had already cut back her own posts due to misinformation and extremist content on X before taking the step. While X has since modified Grok so that generated images no longer automatically appear on public timelines, the bot still can digitally alter images in ways the union finds disturbing. The AFT’s departure is among the most high-profile withdrawals yet from the platform over its content moderation challenges. Critics argue this episode highlights ongoing struggles by social media companies to govern AI-driven tools responsibly, especially those that can produce hyper-realistic content involving vulnerable groups. The union said leaving the platform was necessary to draw a line on protecting children and rejecting harmful digital practices.

The decision comes amid a growing backlash against generative AI misuse on X and elsewhere, including international scrutiny of Grok’s capabilities and responses by regulators and public figures demanding stronger safeguards. Advocates say robust content controls and ethical AI standards are urgently needed to prevent exploitation and reduce harm caused by increasingly powerful generative technologies.