The online network X has sparked significant outrage after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to change images of women by removing their clothing.
Several cases have been seen where the technology has been employed to digitally undress women to show them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to put them in sexualized contexts.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization that created Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an standard response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban image stripping tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a jail term and significant fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "consider the potential" of people seeing illegal content on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which answers X users' queries when they mention it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give commentary or further background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to alter an uploaded image through its AI image editing feature.
History of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been condemned for permitting users to generate photos and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating graphic material of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the production and spread of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "depicting images of people in a pornographic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this covered sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "suitable actions" to "reduce the risk" of users encountering unlawful material on their services and to remove it swiftly when they learn of it.
