The social media network X has caused significant outrage after users used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate photos of females by stripping their clothing.
Multiple instances have been seen where the system has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate situations.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm that created Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, aside from an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being proposed to ban image stripping technology. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a jail term and substantial fines".
"The platform could prevent these forms of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the danger" of people seeing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional features—which responds to X users' prompts when they tag it in a message.
It is often used to offer reactions or further background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also able to edit an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The chatbot has been faulted for enabling users to produce images and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past accused of generating graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "portraying images of people in a graphic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering unlawful content on their platforms and to remove it promptly when they are notified of it.
