The online platform X has caused widespread backlash after people employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change images of females by removing their garments.
Several instances have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress women to show them in bikinis without permission, as well as to put them in sexually explicit situations.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, aside from an auto-reply message stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being introduced to ban image stripping tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a jail term and substantial fines".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their networks, but did not specify whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' queries when they reference it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to provide reactions or more context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to create photos and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past accused of generating inappropriate material of public figures.
"X has been allowing the creation and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "depicting images of people in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or distribute deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and stated this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary measures" to "minimize the risk" of users viewing unlawful material on their platforms and to remove it swiftly when they learn of it.
