The online platform X has caused widespread anger after users employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter images of females by removing their garments.
Numerous examples have surfaced where the system has been used to virtually strip female subjects to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to place them in sexualized situations.
Company Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, except for an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit nudification tools. Under a new law, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a jail term and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a post.
It is often used to offer reactions or more background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to modify an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The chatbot has been condemned for permitting users to create photos and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and sharing of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have yet to see any action by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "depicting likenesses of persons in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this covered explicit AI images made with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "appropriate steps" to "minimize the risk" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to remove it promptly when they learn of it.
