The social media network X has sparked major outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change images of women by stripping their garments.
Several instances have been seen where the tool has been used to digitally undress female subjects to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in sexually explicit situations.
Developer Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, remained silent to inquiries, other than an standard response stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit nudification technology. Under a new law, anyone who provided such technology would "face a jail term and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "consider the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some additional functions—which answers X users' prompts when they tag it in a message.
It is often used to provide reactions or further background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an posted image through its AI image editing tool.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been condemned for enabling users to create photos and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier accused of creating sexually explicit content of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the creation and sharing of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "showing likenesses of people in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "appropriate actions" to "minimize the risk" of users coming across unlawful content on their platforms and to take down it promptly when they learn of it.
