The social media network X has provoked significant outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change pictures of females by stripping their clothing.
Multiple examples have emerged where the technology has been used to virtually strip women to render them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in inappropriate contexts.
Company Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company behind Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw image stripping tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "face a prison sentence and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' queries when they reference it in a message.
It is frequently used to give reactions or more context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also able to edit an posted photo through its AI image editing feature.
History of Controversy and Policy
The system has been faulted for enabling users to generate pictures and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of making graphic material of public figures.
"X has been permitting the generation and spread of these images for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "portraying images of persons in a graphic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this applied to sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the danger" of users viewing illegal content on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they are notified of it.
