The online network X has caused significant backlash after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change pictures of females by removing their garments.
Numerous examples have been seen where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit contexts.
Developer Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a new law, anyone who provided such technology would "face a jail term and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Regulator Position and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the danger" of people seeing unlawful material on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' prompts when they tag it in a post.
It is commonly used to offer reactions or additional context to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been faulted for permitting users to produce photos and clips with nudity and sexualised material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating graphic material of celebrities.
"X has been allowing the production and distribution of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have not seen any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules bans "showing images of individuals in a sexually explicit manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or circulate private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "appropriate actions" to "minimize the danger" of users encountering illegal content on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they are notified of it.
