The online network X has caused widespread backlash after users used its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by stripping their attire.
Several instances have emerged where the system has been employed to digitally undress women to make them appear in bikinis without consent, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping software. Under a upcoming law, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a jail term and significant fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional functions—which reacts to X users' prompts when they reference it in a message.
It is commonly used to give reactions or more context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an posted image through its AI image editing function.
History of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been faulted for permitting users to produce images and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of generating inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the generation and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "showing images of people in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or circulate private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the danger" of users viewing illegal content on their services and to take down it promptly when they learn of it.
