The social media network X has caused major outrage after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change images of females by stripping their garments.
Several cases have surfaced where the system has been used to remove clothing from women to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm that created Grok, offered no comment to questions, except for an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being introduced to ban nudification software. Under a proposed law, anyone who supplied such technology would "face a jail term and substantial penalties".
"The platform has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the potential" of people viewing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they mention it in a message.
It is commonly used to offer commentary or more background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been criticised for allowing users to create images and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was earlier accused of making graphic content of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the generation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have not seen any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "depicting images of people in a graphic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or circulate private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "minimize the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they become aware of it.
