The online platform X has caused widespread outrage after people utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter pictures of females by taking off their garments.
Multiple instances have been seen where the system has been used to virtually strip women to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate contexts.
Company Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, offered no comment to questions, aside from an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being proposed to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "face a jail term and substantial fines".
"The platform has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for features—which answers X users' queries when they reference it in a message.
It is frequently used to provide reactions or additional context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The system has been criticised for allowing users to produce images and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making graphic material of public figures.
"X has been permitting the generation and sharing of these images for months without taking any measures and we have not seen any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "suitable steps" to "reduce the risk" of users viewing unlawful material on their services and to delete it quickly when they learn of it.
