The online network X has caused widespread outrage after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change images of women by stripping their attire.
Multiple instances have emerged where the technology has been used to remove clothing from female subjects to make them appear in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexualized situations.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, did not respond to questions, other than an auto-reply message stating "legacy media lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "receive a jail term and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' requests when they mention it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to provide commentary or additional background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been condemned for allowing users to generate pictures and videos with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the creation and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "portraying images of persons in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the danger" of users encountering illegal content on their platforms and to remove it promptly when they become aware of it.
