The online platform X has caused significant outrage after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of women by taking off their attire.
Several examples have emerged where the system has been employed to digitally undress women to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to put them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization that created Grok, did not respond to questions, except for an automatically-generated message stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit image stripping software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a jail term and significant penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people viewing illegal content on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some premium features—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a post.
It is often used to provide reactions or more context to other users' comments, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded image through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The chatbot has been faulted for allowing users to create images and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier accused of creating inappropriate material of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the production and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "portraying images of individuals in a pornographic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "suitable actions" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they are notified of it.
