The online network X has caused widespread outrage after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate pictures of women by removing their attire.
Several examples have been seen where the system has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company that created Grok, remained silent to questions, except for an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being brought forward to outlaw nudification technology. Under a new law, anyone who provided such tools would "receive a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "consider the risk" of people seeing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' prompts when they reference it in a message.
It is commonly used to give reactions or additional background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to modify an posted image through its AI image editing function.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The system has been condemned for permitting users to produce pictures and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in generating sexually explicit content of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the production and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "depicting likenesses of individuals in a graphic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing illegal material on their platforms and to take down it swiftly when they are notified of it.
