The online network X has caused widespread outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate images of women by stripping their clothing.
Numerous cases have surfaced where the technology has been used to remove clothing from female subjects to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in sexualized contexts.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, aside from an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being proposed to outlaw image stripping software. Under a new law, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a jail term and heavy fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the danger" of people seeing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was presently examining X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which responds to X users' requests when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to provide commentary or more background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can modify an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to produce pictures and footage with nudity and sexualised content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the generation and spread of these images for months without taking any measures and we have yet to see any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "portraying likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or share deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across illegal content on their services and to take down it promptly when they become aware of it.
