The online network X has provoked widespread outrage after individuals utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter photos of women by taking off their attire.
Numerous examples have been seen where the tool has been used to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in sexualized scenarios.
Company Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, did not respond to inquiries, except for an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a new law, anyone who distributed such tools would "face a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the potential" of people seeing illegal content on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they mention it in a tweet.
It is commonly used to provide commentary or further context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been condemned for permitting users to produce photos and videos with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was previously accused of creating inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the creation and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have not seen any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "depicting likenesses of people in a graphic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or distribute private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this covered explicit AI images made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "appropriate actions" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their services and to remove it swiftly when they become aware of it.
