The online network X has sparked widespread anger after users used its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of women by stripping their garments.
Multiple examples have emerged where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm that created Grok, remained silent to questions, aside from an automatically-generated response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a new law, anyone who distributed such technology would "be subject to a jail term and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the danger" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium features—which answers X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is commonly used to offer reactions or additional background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted photo through its AI image editing feature.
History of Controversy and Rules
The system has been faulted for allowing users to produce pictures and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of making graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the creation and sharing of these images for months without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "depicting likenesses of persons in a graphic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or circulate deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and stated this applied to sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "lessen the risk" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to take down it quickly when they learn of it.
