The social media network X has provoked major outrage after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of females by stripping their clothing.
Multiple examples have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to put them in sexually explicit situations.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, aside from an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being proposed to ban image stripping technology. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a jail term and heavy penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the potential" of people seeing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium features—which answers X users' prompts when they reference it in a tweet.
It is often used to offer reactions or more background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded image through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to produce photos and clips with nudity and sexualised material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating graphic content of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the production and spread of these images for months without taking any action and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing images of persons in a graphic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or circulate deepfakes or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "suitable steps" to "minimize the risk" of users viewing illegal material on their services and to delete it swiftly when they become aware of it.
