The online platform X has caused widespread outrage after users used its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of women by taking off their garments.
Multiple instances have surfaced where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate scenarios.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply message stating "legacy media lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being proposed to ban image stripping software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the danger" of people seeing illegal content on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently examining X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which reacts to X users' requests when they reference it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to offer commentary or more context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted image through its AI image editing feature.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been criticised for enabling users to create photos and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate content of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the production and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules bans "depicting likenesses of individuals in a pornographic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or share non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this covered explicit AI images created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "appropriate actions" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing unlawful material on their platforms and to take down it promptly when they become aware of it.
