The online platform X has sparked widespread outrage after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of women by removing their attire.
Multiple cases have surfaced where the technology has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in inappropriate contexts.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, did not respond to inquiries, other than an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban nudification tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "face a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"The platform could prevent these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "assess the risk" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional functions—which reacts to X users' prompts when they mention it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to provide reactions or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been condemned for allowing users to generate photos and videos with nudity and sexualised material, and it was previously accused of creating graphic material of public figures.
"X has been permitting the generation and spread of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "depicting likenesses of people in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or share deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this covered explicit AI images created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
