The online platform X has sparked widespread backlash after people used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by stripping their garments.
Multiple instances have surfaced where the system has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in bikinis without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to questions, except for an automatically-generated response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a upcoming law, anyone who supplied such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their networks, but did not specify whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' requests when they mention it in a post.
It is commonly used to offer commentary or further context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to modify an posted picture through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been criticised for permitting users to produce images and videos with nudity and sexualised material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate material of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the production and sharing of these images for months without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "depicting images of individuals in a pornographic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "appropriate measures" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering unlawful content on their platforms and to take down it quickly when they become aware of it.
