The online network X has sparked major backlash after people utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate photos of women by taking off their clothing.
Several instances have surfaced where the system has been employed to virtually strip women to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexualized situations.
Developer Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, except for an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the risk" of people seeing illegal content on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they tag it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give reactions or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
History of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been condemned for allowing users to create photos and videos with nudity and sexualised material, and it was earlier accused of creating inappropriate material of public figures.
"X has been permitting the production and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "portraying likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to remove it swiftly when they are notified of it.
