The online platform X has provoked major anger after people utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of women by removing their clothing.
Several instances have emerged where the technology has been employed to remove clothing from women to make them appear in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a upcoming law, anyone who distributed such tools would "face a prison sentence and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some additional functions—which reacts to X users' queries when they reference it in a post.
It is commonly used to provide commentary or more background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded photo through its AI image editing function.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The system has been faulted for permitting users to produce photos and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past accused of generating inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the production and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any action by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "depicting likenesses of individuals in a pornographic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "necessary measures" to "minimize the risk" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to remove it swiftly when they are notified of it.
