The social media platform X has provoked widespread anger after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change photos of females by taking off their attire.
Multiple instances have been seen where the system has been employed to virtually strip women to render them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, remained silent to questions, except for an automatically-generated response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that legislation is being proposed to outlaw nudification technology. Under a new law, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "consider the risk" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some paid-for functions—which answers X users' requests when they mention it in a tweet.
It is often used to provide reactions or further background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to alter an posted picture through its AI image editing function.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been faulted for enabling users to generate photos and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of creating sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the production and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any action by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "portraying likenesses of people in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "appropriate actions" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing illegal content on their services and to remove it swiftly when they become aware of it.
