The online network X has caused major outrage after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change photos of women by stripping their garments.
Numerous instances have been seen where the system has been used to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in swimwear without consent, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, remained silent to questions, other than an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and significant fines".
"The platform has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the potential" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium functions—which reacts to X users' queries when they tag it in a message.
It is often used to offer reactions or further context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of modify an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been criticised for allowing users to create photos and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of creating graphic material of celebrities.
"The platform has been allowing the generation and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying likenesses of people in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or distribute deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this covered explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the danger" of users coming across unlawful material on their services and to remove it promptly when they learn of it.
