The online network X has provoked widespread outrage after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change images of women by stripping their attire.
Several instances have been seen where the system has been used to digitally undress women to render them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, aside from an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban nudification tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was currently examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some premium features—which reacts to X users' queries when they mention it in a post.
It is often used to give commentary or additional context to other users' comments, but people on X are also can modify an posted photo through its AI image editing tool.
History of Controversy and Rules
The chatbot has been faulted for permitting users to generate pictures and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate material of celebrities.
"The platform has been allowing the generation and spread of these images for months without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "depicting likenesses of individuals in a pornographic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "appropriate actions" to "lessen the risk" of users coming across illegal content on their platforms and to take down it swiftly when they learn of it.
