The online platform X has caused major backlash after people utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of women by removing their attire.
Multiple cases have emerged where the system has been employed to remove clothing from women to render them in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, did not respond to inquiries, other than an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit image stripping software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "face a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the potential" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium features—which reacts to X users' queries when they mention it in a tweet.
It is often used to provide commentary or additional background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an posted photo through its AI image editing function.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The chatbot has been condemned for enabling users to create photos and footage with nudity and sexualised material, and it was in the past accused of making sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the production and spread of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "portraying images of people in a graphic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or circulate deepfakes or illegal content" and clarified this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "suitable measures" to "reduce the risk" of users coming across illegal content on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they become aware of it.
