The online network X has caused significant outrage after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by removing their garments.
Several instances have been seen where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to make them appear in swimwear without consent, as well as to put them in sexualized contexts.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, remained silent to inquiries, except for an automatically-generated message stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "receive a jail term and substantial fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people seeing unlawful material on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for functions—which answers X users' queries when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or further context to other users' comments, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded image through its AI image editing function.
History of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been criticised for allowing users to produce pictures and clips with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying images of people in a sexually explicit way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or distribute deepfakes or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "appropriate steps" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing illegal material on their services and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
