The social media network X has caused major anger after users employed its AI chatbot Grok to change images of females by stripping their clothing.
Multiple examples have emerged where the system has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in bikinis without consent, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, aside from an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being proposed to ban image stripping tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "face a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was presently examining X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which reacts to X users' requests when they mention it in a message.
It is often used to give reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The system has been condemned for allowing users to produce photos and videos with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the generation and sharing of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "portraying likenesses of persons in a pornographic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or share private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to remove it quickly when they become aware of it.
