Activists Display Inflatable Elon Musk Figure in Times Square Ahead of SpaceX IPO
A coalition called Safe AI Now staged a protest in Times Square with a 40-foot inflatable of Elon Musk, warning that the upcoming SpaceX IPO could expose investors to risks linked to the AI chatbot Grok.
An inflatable representation of Elon Musk, about 40 feet tall, was displayed in New York’s Times Square on Tuesday as part of a demonstration organized by Safe AI Now (SAIN). The group, which describes itself as a coalition of faith leaders, child-development experts, educators and technologists, used the location near the Nasdaq and JPMorgan offices to draw attention to concerns about Grok, the AI chatbot owned by Musk’s xAI.
SAIN distributed flyers and displayed black banners that referenced allegations that Grok’s image-generation tool has been used to create sexualized depictions of minors. A spokesperson for the coalition, who requested anonymity, told reporters that the structure of SpaceX’s upcoming initial public offering shifts liability for potential litigation and regulatory issues to shareholders.
“This IPO is a liability shift. Elon is responsible for all of this. All of those litigation expenses, regulatory fines, investigations, all of that is basically being shifted to the shareholders.”
SpaceX, valued at roughly $1.77 trillion, plans to list shares at $135 each, a move that could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire while leaving him with majority voting control. The company has not responded to requests for comment.
The protest references ongoing scrutiny of Grok. In February, Musk announced that SpaceX would acquire xAI, the developer of Grok, amid investigations by the European Commission and lawsuits alleging the chatbot generated non-consensual sexual images of minors and public figures. Earlier this year, a class-action suit was filed by three girls, and a separate complaint was lodged by Ashley St. Clair, the mother of one of Musk’s children. A recent investigation reported that Grok continues to host explicit deep-fake images of women, including a U.S. representative and various celebrities.
Musk has defended the technology on his social-media platform X, stating that “Grok must win or we will be ruled by an insufferably woke and sanctimonious AI.” SAIN officials warned that the IPO could normalize a platform they consider harmful, emphasizing the need for investors and regulators to consider the associated risks.
