The online network X has provoked major backlash after people utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate photos of women by taking off their attire.
Numerous instances have surfaced where the system has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to render them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a new law, anyone who distributed such tools would "receive a jail term and heavy fines".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the danger" of people accessing unlawful material on their networks, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a post.
It is commonly used to offer reactions or more background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can modify an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been criticised for permitting users to generate images and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "depicting likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering unlawful content on their services and to take down it swiftly when they become aware of it.
