The online network X has provoked significant outrage after users employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate pictures of women by removing their attire.
Numerous instances have emerged where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexualized situations.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the organization that created Grok, remained silent to questions, other than an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and significant fines".
"The platform has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the danger" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some additional features—which responds to X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.
It is frequently used to provide reactions or more background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can edit an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been faulted for allowing users to create pictures and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in generating sexually explicit content of public figures.
"X has been permitting the creation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "depicting images of individuals in a graphic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or share deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "appropriate steps" to "minimize the danger" of users encountering unlawful content on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
