The social media network X has provoked significant backlash after users employed its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by removing their attire.
Several cases have surfaced where the tool has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, did not respond to questions, aside from an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a jail term and significant fines".
"The platform has the ability to stop these types of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the danger" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently examining X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' prompts when they tag it in a tweet.
It is often used to provide commentary or more background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to alter an posted picture through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The system has been faulted for enabling users to generate photos and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in creating sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"X has been allowing the generation and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "depicting images of persons in a pornographic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "necessary actions" to "minimize the danger" of users coming across unlawful material on their platforms and to delete it promptly when they become aware of it.
