The social media platform X has sparked widespread outrage after people utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of women by removing their clothing.
Multiple instances have been seen where the system has been used to virtually strip women to make them appear in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to put them in sexually explicit contexts.
Company Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw nudification technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a jail term and substantial fines".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "assess the potential" of people viewing illegal content on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently examining X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some premium features—which reacts to X users' requests when they reference it in a message.
It is often used to offer reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also can modify an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been criticised for permitting users to produce pictures and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in generating graphic material of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the production and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "showing likenesses of persons in a graphic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or share deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "appropriate measures" to "reduce the risk" of users encountering illegal content on their services and to remove it promptly when they learn of it.
