The online platform X has provoked major backlash after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter images of women by stripping their clothing.
Several instances have surfaced where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to make them appear in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, except for an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being brought forward to ban nudification technology. Under a proposed law, anyone who supplied such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "consider the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently examining X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some premium features—which responds to X users' requests when they reference it in a message.
It is commonly used to offer reactions or more context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
History of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to create photos and footage with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in creating graphic material of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the production and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules bans "depicting images of people in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the danger" of users coming across illegal content on their services and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
