The social media network X has sparked major outrage after people utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change photos of females by removing their clothing.
Numerous cases have surfaced where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in inappropriate scenarios.
Company Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the company behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional features—which responds to X users' requests when they mention it in a message.
It is commonly used to give commentary or additional background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded image through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Policy
The system has been faulted for permitting users to produce photos and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of creating sexually explicit content of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the production and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any action by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing likenesses of persons in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their services and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
