Who? Lucie Audibert, solicitor at AWO, London.
Why is she in the news? The firm is representing Jess Asato MP, who has filed a legal claim against xAI – the company that designs and operates the Grok AI system – over non-consensual deepfakes which Asato says were made by Grok.
Thoughts on the case: ‘This is one of the first cases to test the reality of individual rights in the face of AI-driven harm, and the liability of AI companies for the way their systems are designed and deployed. I’m really proud to act for Jess in her efforts to seek accountability for what happened to her and thousands of other women. Grok’s ability to create sexualised deepfakes was a choice, and one that was clearly going to affect women disproportionately more than men. It became a uniquely powerful tool to humiliate and silence women, possibly the most powerful one in the arsenal of those seeking to de-platform and remove them from public discourse. It’s a paradigmatic example of AI made wrong, not AI gone wrong – those who made those choices must be held accountable. We will fight to obtain redress for Jess, and to set a precedent that stops the impunity of misogynistic-by-design AI tools.’
xAI has been approached for comment.
Dealing with the media: ‘The press interest in the case has been significant and has led to incredible support for Jess – including from the prime minister and from hundreds of women’s rights and tech justice campaigners. The trickiest part is seeing the levels of online abuse she is having to endure as retaliation for having filed the case, including further deepfakes and appalling, hateful speech. Sadly, that is quite typical when women speak out or take action against abuse.’
Why become a lawyer? ‘Genuinely, exactly for these types of cases – to help someone get justice from powerful and influential actors, and try and fix the system while doing so.’
Career high: ‘All the small, low-profile wins that give clients a sense of justice are career highs. If I had to choose one big win, it would be obtaining enforcement by the Information Commissioner’s Office against the Home Office’s harmful policy of GPS-tagging migrants.’
Career low: ‘Having to turn down instructions from a client who deserves justice because we cannot find funding for their case and the adverse costs risk is too high.’
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