The online network X has sparked significant outrage after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate pictures of females by stripping their attire.
Multiple cases have emerged where the technology has been used to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit contexts.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, offered no comment to questions, aside from an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a jail term and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their networks, but did not specify whether it was presently examining X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium features—which reacts to X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.
It is frequently used to offer commentary or more context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded picture through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been condemned for permitting users to generate photos and clips with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the production and distribution of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "depicting likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "suitable measures" to "reduce the risk" of users encountering unlawful material on their services and to delete it quickly when they are notified of it.
