The online platform X has sparked significant backlash after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate pictures of females by taking off their garments.
Numerous instances have emerged where the technology has been used to digitally undress women to show them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit contexts.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being brought forward to outlaw nudification tools. Under a upcoming law, anyone who provided such technology would "face a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "assess the potential" of people seeing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium features—which answers X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is commonly used to offer commentary or more background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been condemned for enabling users to produce photos and clips with nudity and sexualised material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in generating inappropriate material of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the generation and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any action by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "showing likenesses of persons in a sexually explicit manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "appropriate measures" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal content on their services and to remove it swiftly when they are notified of it.
