The online network X has sparked widespread backlash after people utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter photos of women by taking off their garments.
Multiple instances have surfaced where the system has been employed to remove clothing from women to render them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate contexts.
Company Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, remained silent to questions, except for an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being proposed to ban image stripping tools. Under a upcoming law, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was presently examining X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some premium features—which answers X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.
It is often used to offer commentary or more background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Criticism and Policy
The system has been criticised for allowing users to generate images and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and spread of these images for months without taking any action and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules bans "showing likenesses of persons in a pornographic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the risk" of users coming across illegal content on their services and to remove it quickly when they learn of it.
