The social media network X has caused major outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change pictures of females by stripping their attire.
Multiple cases have surfaced where the system has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, did not respond to inquiries, except for an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping software. Under a new law, anyone who distributed such technology would "be subject to a jail term and significant penalties".
"The platform could prevent these types of abuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some paid-for features—which answers X users' prompts when they tag it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give reactions or further background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also able to alter an posted photo through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been faulted for allowing users to produce images and footage with nudity and sexualised material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the creation and distribution of these images for months without taking any action and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "depicting images of people in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their platforms and to take down it quickly when they learn of it.
