The social media network X has provoked widespread outrage after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by removing their attire.
Multiple instances have been seen where the system has been employed to digitally undress women to make them appear in swimwear without consent, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization that created Grok, did not respond to inquiries, except for an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit nudification tools. Under a upcoming law, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and significant fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional features—which responds to X users' requests when they tag it in a message.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or further context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded image through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been condemned for permitting users to create pictures and footage with nudity and sexualised material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the creation and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "portraying images of individuals in a graphic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "necessary actions" to "reduce the risk" of users encountering unlawful material on their platforms and to take down it swiftly when they become aware of it.
