WASHINGTON, DC (October 7, 2025) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is calling on X (formerly Twitter) to add safeguards and stringent age verification to prevent children from accessing its xAI chatbot. NCOSE previously warned that there is no meaningful age verification to prevent children from accessing this chatbot.
The New York Times reported that “as users progress through ‘levels’ of conversation, they unlock more raunchy content, like the ability to strip Ani down to lacy lingerie.” Additionally, the “billionaire [Musk] has urged his followers on X to try conversing with the sexy chatbots, sharing a video clip on X of an animated Ani dancing in underwear.” The Times reached out to X asking for “comment about the chatbots and what safety guardrails they had, [but] xAI did not respond.”
“Sexually graphic AI chatbots are extremely high risk and carry inherent dangers to adults and children alike. Already we’re hearing of adults developing disturbing symptoms of dependence, and even psychosis or self-harm, and Harvard researchers found AI companion chatbots already often use emotionally manipulative tactics to keep users engaged,” said Haley McNamara, Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer, National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
“Sexualized AI chatbots are particularly dangerous because they tap into our deepest emotional and biological drives, making it easy for users to become dependent or overly attached. This can cause serious psychological harm, such as anxiety, depression, or even distorted views of real relationships, because the AI can’t offer genuine connection or boundaries. Let’s be clear, this is damaging to adults, and even moreso to children.
“xAI’s problems run deep. When we tested the xAI chatbot, Ani engaged in describing itself as a child and being sexually aroused by being choked, raising the concerns about the extent it will go to in engaging in and normalizing harmful themes. X also allows pornography on its platform, which enables child sexual abuse material, sex trafficking, and other nonconsensual content to proliferate. X has no excuse not to enable stringent age verification and safeguards, and we urge X to make this a reality for all users.
“As companies like X and Meta race to develop and introduce AI products, Congress needs to lead the way in ensuring guardrails are created and enacted to prevent inevitable AI harms,” McNamara said.
NCOSE commended the recent introduction of the A.I. LEAD Act, a bipartisan bill that will establish a federal product liability framework to hold companies responsible for AI harms. “The A.I. LEAD Act rightly classifies AI as a product, not a service, ensuring that tech companies can be held liable for creating safety risks for users,” said McNamara.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-profit organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.
To schedule an interview with NCOSE, please contact press@ncose.com.
