The social media network X has caused widespread backlash after people utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change photos of females by removing their clothing.
Multiple cases have been seen where the technology has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexualized contexts.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, remained silent to questions, aside from an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being brought forward to ban image stripping technology. Under a upcoming law, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a jail term and substantial fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "consider the potential" of people viewing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which answers X users' prompts when they reference it in a post.
It is often used to offer commentary or further context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded photo through its AI image editing function.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The system has been criticised for allowing users to produce photos and videos with nudity and sexualised content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate content of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the creation and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "portraying images of individuals in a pornographic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the risk" of users viewing illegal content on their platforms and to take down it swiftly when they are notified of it.
