The online platform X has provoked widespread outrage after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by removing their garments.
Numerous instances have emerged where the system has been employed to remove clothing from women to make them appear in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being introduced to ban image stripping tools. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and significant penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the risk" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was presently examining X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they tag it in a message.
It is commonly used to offer reactions or more context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to edit an uploaded picture through its AI image editing tool.
History of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been faulted for allowing users to produce photos and footage with nudity and sexualised content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making graphic content of public figures.
"X has been permitting the production and sharing of these pictures 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 prohibits "showing images of persons in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or distribute deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they are notified of it.
