The online network X has sparked widespread anger after people used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter images of females by stripping their clothing.
Multiple instances have surfaced where the tool has been used to virtually strip women to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexualized contexts.
Company Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, other than an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit image stripping software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a prison sentence and significant fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some premium features—which answers X users' requests when they reference it in a message.
It is frequently used to give commentary or further background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The system has been criticised for permitting users to produce images and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of making sexually explicit content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the generation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "showing images of individuals in a sexually explicit manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or circulate deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the danger" of users coming across unlawful material on their services and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
