The social media network X has provoked significant anger after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change images of women by removing their attire.
Multiple examples have been seen where the system has been employed to remove clothing from female subjects to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to place them in inappropriate scenarios.
Company Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, remained silent to questions, aside from an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a new law, anyone who distributed such tools would "receive a jail term and significant fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people accessing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was at this time 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 tweet.
It is frequently used to provide commentary or additional context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Controversy and Rules
The system has been condemned for enabling users to generate pictures and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit content of public figures.
"X has been enabling the creation and distribution of these images for months without taking any steps and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules bans "portraying images of people in a graphic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "appropriate steps" to "lessen the risk" of users viewing illegal material on their platforms and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
