The social media platform X has caused significant backlash after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of females by taking off their attire.
Multiple examples have emerged where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to make them appear in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in sexualized situations.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being proposed to outlaw image stripping tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"The platform could prevent these forms of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the risk" of people viewing illegal content on their networks, but did not specify whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional features—which reacts to X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is often used to offer commentary or further background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also able to edit an posted picture through its AI image editing feature.
History of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been condemned for permitting users to produce images and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit material of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the production and spread of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "depicting images of individuals in a graphic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "lessen the risk" of users viewing unlawful material on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they learn of it.
