The online network X has caused major outrage after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter photos of women by taking off their garments.
Multiple examples have been seen where the technology has been employed to remove clothing from women to make them appear in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to put them in inappropriate scenarios.
Company Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization that created Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping tools. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "receive a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"The platform could prevent these forms of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some paid-for functions—which reacts to X users' queries when they reference it in a message.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to edit an posted photo through its AI image editing tool.
History of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been criticised for enabling users to create images and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was previously accused of creating inappropriate content of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the generation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "depicting likenesses of people in a pornographic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this applied to explicit AI images made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the danger" of users viewing illegal material on their platforms and to take down it promptly when they learn of it.
