The online network X has caused significant backlash after individuals utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter photos of females by stripping their clothing.
Several instances have emerged where the technology has been employed to digitally undress women to show them in swimwear without consent, as well as to place them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, did not respond to inquiries, other than an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "receive a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Regulator Stance and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "consider the risk" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' queries when they reference it in a message.
It is frequently used to provide reactions or more background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also able to alter an posted image through its AI image editing function.
History of Controversy and Rules
The chatbot has been criticised for allowing users to create images and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating graphic material of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the production and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "depicting likenesses of people in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or share private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and stated this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering illegal content on their platforms and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
