The social media network X has provoked significant outrage after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of females by removing their clothing.
Multiple cases have surfaced where the tool has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in sexually explicit contexts.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit nudification software. Under a upcoming law, anyone who distributed such tools would "receive a prison sentence and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "assess the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their networks, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a post.
It is frequently used to give reactions or more context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
History of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been criticised for permitting users to generate images and footage with nudity and sexualised material, and it was earlier accused of making graphic content of public figures.
"X has been allowing the creation and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "showing likenesses of people in a graphic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or circulate deepfakes or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the danger" of users encountering illegal content on their platforms and to take down it promptly when they become aware of it.
