Minnesota Says xAI's Grok Created 'Marketplace for Digital Sexual Violence'
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xAI launches Grok Build built-in plugin marketplace: one-click expansion of AI terminal skills, and forced SHA security lock.
According to Beating, xAI has announced the launch of the Grok Build Plugin Marketplace, a built-in plugin marketplace for its endpoint AI programming tool, Grok Build. This allows developers to directly browse, install, and update third-party tools within the endpoint. Each plugin integrates and packages modules such as the AI's underlying skills, control protocols (MCPs), and code completion tools (LSPs), eliminating the hassle of fragmented configuration. Since the marketplace is directly integrated into the command-line interface, users can update and iterate plugins without leaving the endpoint. Among the initial plugins launched, the MongoDB plugin allows AI to directly query and optimize databases, the Vercel plugin supports control over cloud deployments and domains within the endpoint, the Sentry plugin helps AI analyze error stacks to automatically fix bugs, and the Chrome DevTools plugin allows AI to control the browser in real time and record performance tracks. In addition, the Cloudflare developer skill pack and the community workflow tool Superpowers have also been launched simultaneously. Users can access the directory by typing `/marketplace` in Grok Build or by running `grok plugin install` via the command line.
xAI releases Grok Imagine Video version 1.5, reducing generation time.
According to Foresight News , xAI announced the release of Grok Imagine Video version 1.5, an image-to-video model with sharper realism, better physics, and faster generation speeds. In addition, they also launched a fast version of Video 1.5 for consumers, offering higher quality and shorter rendering times; 720p video now renders in approximately 25 seconds, compared to over 40 seconds for previous models.
Musk's xAI has "borrowed" executives from Starlink to lead the Grok training team.
According to an internal memo, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI has "borrowed" an executive from SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service to lead the model training team for the Grok chatbot, according to Odaily Odaily. Previously, the team was led by young engineer Diego Pasini. The new head is Jack Garabedian, who has been an engineer on SpaceX's Starlink project since 2021. Upon joining xAI, he will take over the "Human Data Team," a group of hundreds of experts responsible for training Grok across various fields, from finance to science. Neither Pasini nor Garabedian responded to requests for comment, nor did representatives from SpaceX or xAI respond. (Jinshi)
Large-scale models have become weapons of war: The US military has designated xAI data centers as "arsenals" to obstruct environmental lawsuits.
According to Beating, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a motion in the Mississippi federal court to intervene in and dismiss the environmental lawsuit filed by the NAACP against xAI's data center. In their testimony, the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense confirmed for the first time that the U.S. military has deployed a customized version of Grok Gov in a classified military network for planning actual military strikes against Iran. The federal government argues that the computing power provided by the data center is equivalent to a modern military manufacturing plant, and cutting off the power supply would jeopardize national and military defense security. The lawsuit stems from xAI's illegal operation of multiple portable natural gas turbines for off-grid power generation at its Colossus 2 data center, causing severe pollution in the surrounding Black community. To protect the power supply necessary for Grok's normal operation, the Department of Justice, in addition to supporting xAI's claim that the mobile gas turbines are temporary facilities without permits, has introduced a new legal defense logic: if the executive branch opposes the lawsuit, private entities or citizens will not have the right to pursue environmental rights under the citizen suit provisions of the Clean Air Act. Environmental and civil rights lawyers point out that the Department of Justice's logic constitutes an overreach of executive branch power, aiming to use national security as a pretext to deprive communities of legal weapons to combat corporate pollution. The U.S. military's deep reliance on commercial AI is the underlying reason for the Department of Justice's strong intervention. In 2025, the Pentagon signed a $200 million government version of Grok with xAI. Cameron Stanley, the Department of Defense's chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, confirmed that a customized version of Grok Gov has been deployed in a classified network as part of the Maven intelligent system. During the U.S.-Iran conflict in February 2026, the Maven system delivered more than 2,000 munitions to 2,000 targets within 96 hours. The U.S. military's tactical dependence is prompting the Department of Justice to invoke national security provisions to grant exemptions for xAI supply chain violations.
SpaceXAI Wants Grok Bot to Do Your Job—But It Needs Access to Your Accounts
The AI agent can navigate workplace software and coordinate with other bots, raising questions about security and control.
Vanguard Group establishes its first head of digital assets position
According to Mars Finance, on July 8th, Vanguard Group, the world's second-largest asset management company (managing approximately $12 trillion in assets), created its first Head of Digital Assets position, responsible for developing the company's long-term crypto and blockchain strategy. This role will assess areas such as tokenization, stablecoins, digital wallets, custody, and blockchain settlement, and determine whether Vanguard should build its own capabilities, partner with external entities, or postpone entry into certain markets. The position requires developing multi-year roadmaps and designing governance and risk frameworks. Vanguard stated that this hiring does not indicate an upcoming launch of crypto products and currently has no plans to issue its own crypto investment vehicles.