The online network X has caused major backlash after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter photos of females by stripping their attire.
Numerous instances have emerged where the tool has been used to remove clothing from women to make them appear in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit situations.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, remained silent to questions, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "face a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is often used to offer reactions or further background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to modify an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been faulted for permitting users to produce pictures and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past accused of creating graphic content of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the generation and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing images of people in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this covered explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary actions" to "minimize the risk" of users viewing unlawful material on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they become aware of it.
