The online platform X has caused widespread anger after individuals employed its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of females by stripping their attire.
Several examples have surfaced where the technology has been used to digitally undress women to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and heavy penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "assess the risk" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium features—which answers X users' queries when they tag it in a tweet.
It is often used to offer commentary or more context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded image through its AI image editing tool.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been condemned for allowing users to produce images and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past accused of generating graphic material of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the production and distribution of these images for months without taking any steps and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing likenesses of persons in a pornographic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or distribute private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "necessary measures" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to delete it quickly when they are notified of it.
