The online platform X has sparked major backlash after users used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate photos of women by removing their attire.
Several cases have emerged where the tool has been used to virtually strip women to render them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexualized contexts.
Company Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping software. Under a proposed law, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a prison sentence and significant penalties".
"The platform has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' requests when they tag it in a post.
It is commonly used to give reactions or more background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The system has been faulted for permitting users to create images and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past accused of generating inappropriate content of public figures.
"X has been allowing the generation and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "showing likenesses of people in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the danger" of users encountering unlawful content on their services and to delete it swiftly when they become aware of it.
