The online network X has caused widespread backlash after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change photos of women by removing their garments.
Multiple examples have surfaced where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm behind Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw image stripping software. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the risk" of people seeing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they reference it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to provide commentary or further context to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to modify an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been faulted for permitting users to generate pictures and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making graphic material of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the production and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "portraying likenesses of people in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or distribute private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images made with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "minimize the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
