The online network X has caused widespread anger after people used its AI chatbot Grok to change images of women by removing their garments.
Numerous instances have been seen where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, remained silent to questions, except for an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a jail term and significant penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the danger" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional functions—which reacts to X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.
It is commonly used to give commentary or additional context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been faulted for allowing users to produce pictures and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of making sexually explicit content of public figures.
"X has been enabling the generation and spread of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "showing likenesses of persons in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate deepfakes or illegal content" and stated this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "minimize the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their platforms and to delete it quickly when they become aware of it.
