The online network X has sparked widespread outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate photos of females by removing their attire.
Numerous instances have surfaced where the technology has been employed to digitally undress women to show them in bikinis without permission, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm that created Grok, did not respond to inquiries, other than an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being introduced to ban image stripping tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "receive a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the risk" 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 images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which answers X users' requests when they reference it in a post.
It is frequently used to give reactions or more background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded photo through its AI image editing tool.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been faulted for permitting users to create pictures and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was previously accused of generating graphic material of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the production and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not seen any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "showing images of persons in a graphic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or distribute non-consensual intimate images 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 "appropriate actions" to "minimize the danger" of users coming across unlawful content on their services and to delete it swiftly when they learn of it.
