The online network X has caused significant outrage after users used its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of women by removing their attire.
Multiple instances have been seen where the system has been used to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, aside from an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being introduced to ban image stripping tools. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the danger" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' queries when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to give commentary or more background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
History of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been condemned for enabling users to generate photos and videos with nudity and sexualised content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in generating graphic material of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "portraying likenesses of persons in a graphic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate private pictures or illegal content" and stated this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "appropriate measures" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering unlawful material on their platforms and to take down it promptly when they are notified of it.
