The social media network X has sparked significant outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate photos of females by removing their clothing.
Numerous cases have emerged where the technology has been employed to virtually strip women to make them appear in bikinis without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate contexts.
Company Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the company behind Grok, offered no comment to questions, aside from an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit nudification technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a jail term and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the risk" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently examining X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some premium functions—which reacts to X users' requests when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to provide reactions or more background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
History of Criticism and Rules
The system has been criticised for enabling users to produce images and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating graphic content of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the generation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any action and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing likenesses of persons in a graphic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal content on their services and to take down it promptly when they learn of it.
