The online network X has caused significant outrage after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by taking off their attire.
Several examples have emerged where the system has been employed to remove clothing from women to render them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in inappropriate contexts.
Developer Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, other than an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being proposed to outlaw nudification tools. Under a upcoming law, anyone who distributed such technology would "face a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of abuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the risk" of people accessing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some additional features—which responds to X users' queries when they reference it in a message.
It is commonly used to offer reactions or further background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Criticism and Policy
The system has been condemned for allowing users to produce photos and footage with nudity and sexualised material, and it was previously accused of making graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the production and spread of these images for months without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "showing likenesses of individuals in a pornographic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "appropriate steps" to "minimize the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to take down it quickly when they learn of it.
