The online network X has provoked major backlash after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by stripping their garments.
Several cases have emerged where the tool has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to render them in swimwear without consent, as well as to put them in inappropriate situations.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and significant fines".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these types of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the danger" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was presently examining X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' queries when they tag it in a message.
It is frequently used to give commentary or further context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also capable of edit an uploaded picture through its AI image editing tool.
History of Criticism and Policy
The system has been condemned for enabling users to produce pictures and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating graphic content of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the creation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "portraying images of individuals in a pornographic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or distribute deepfakes or illegal content" and clarified this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "appropriate measures" to "lessen the risk" of users viewing illegal material on their services and to remove it swiftly when they learn of it.
