The online platform X has sparked major anger after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate photos of females by stripping their garments.
Multiple cases have surfaced where the technology has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to show them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to put them in sexualized scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm that created Grok, remained silent to questions, aside from an automatically-generated message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being introduced to outlaw nudification technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "face a prison sentence and significant fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the danger" of people accessing illegal content on their networks, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which answers X users' requests when they tag it in a message.
It is frequently used to offer commentary or further context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of modify an posted picture through its AI image editing tool.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The chatbot has been condemned for enabling users to produce photos and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate content of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the creation and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing likenesses of persons in a graphic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or distribute deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the risk" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to remove it promptly when they learn of it.
