The online network X has caused widespread backlash after individuals employed its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of females by taking off their clothing.
Multiple cases have been seen where the technology has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in sexualized contexts.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, offered no comment to questions, other than an standard response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office official stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit image stripping software. Under a proposed law, anyone who supplied such tools would "be subject to a jail term and significant fines".
"The platform could prevent these types of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Stance and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the risk" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was currently examining X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which reacts to X users' requests when they reference it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to provide reactions or additional background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of edit an posted image through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to generate photos and clips with nudity and sexualised content, and it was in the past accused of making inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the creation and distribution of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "portraying images of individuals in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or circulate private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "minimize the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to take down it promptly when they learn of it.
