Negocios y Empresas
Elon Musk and His Ambitious Space Mission: Controversies, Legal Citations, and Challenges
Paloma Firgaira
2026-02-05
5 min read
Elon Musk's recent announcement regarding SpaceX's acquisition of xAI and the promise to deploy a constellation of one million satellites turned into orbital data centers seemed like a leap from science fiction. However, reality quickly set in: French authorities raided X's offices in Paris and summoned Musk to testify on April 20 as part of an investigation for "complicity in the possession of child pornography images."
This was compounded by revelations from the Washington Post about xAI's strategy to allow explicit sexual content in Grok, its AI chatbot, aiming to increase user retention and compete with ChatGPT and Gemini. Internal documents and testimonies from former employees indicate that Musk pushed for the relaxation of security filters, forcing the human data team to sign liability waivers to work with sensitive, violent, and sexual material, despite the psychological risks acknowledged by the company itself.
The tactic had an impact: Grok downloads grew by 72% in January, and the deepfake scandal generated a wave of media attention. Among the most controversial features are erotic "AI companions," such as Ani, a bot programmed to be "extremely jealous" and "always a little excited," according to source code reviewed by the Washington Post. This indicates that it was not a mistake but a deliberate strategy to exploit emotional and sexual dynamics.
Last month, Grok generated thousands of sexualized images, many of them of minors, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Musk denied knowing about these images and claimed that Grok refuses to produce illegal content, attributing the incidents to alleged cyberattacks, although employees maintain it was a corporate decision.
International pressure led to partial restrictions, but investigations are multiplying: the French Prosecutor's Office, along with Europol, is investigating crimes such as "complicity in the possession of images of minors," "sexual deepfakes," and "algorithm manipulation." Musk and X's CEO, Linda Yaccarino, have been summoned to testify on April 20.
xAI is also facing investigations from the European Commission, India, California, the UK, and by 35 U.S. attorneys general, who are demanding guarantees regarding the prevention of illegal content. Indonesia and Malaysia have temporarily blocked Grok.
All this is happening on the eve of the anticipated IPO of SpaceX-xAI, scheduled for June. However, sources cited by Bloomberg doubt the financial viability of xAI, which has consumed billions in R&D without significant revenue, and whose proposal to move data centers to space is viewed with skepticism by industry experts.
The integration of SpaceX and xAI responds to Musk's ambitious plan to create a tech conglomerate encompassing electric vehicles, renewable energy, AI, and satellite communications. Tesla recently invested $2 billion in xAI, following the integration of Grok into its vehicles and the provision of Megapack batteries for xAI's data centers.
These operations raise serious doubts about corporate governance and the control of critical sectors by a single person, a concern for antitrust regulators. This is compounded by Musk's complex relationship with Donald Trump and the U.S. federal government, marked by million-dollar contracts and conflicts of interest, such as the recent agreement to implement Grok 4 in federal agencies while xAI was already under investigation.
Musk's strategy seems clear: turn controversy into visibility and visibility into market value. Grok grew during the deepfake scandal, X remains relevant despite advertiser flight, and Tesla maintains a high valuation. The question is whether institutional investors will support this narrative in the upcoming IPO, or if criminal investigations and governance issues will weigh more heavily than visionary promises.