The social media network X has sparked major outrage after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter images of women by removing their clothing.
Multiple examples have been seen where the system has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to make them appear in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to put them in sexualized scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the risk" of people accessing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' queries when they reference it in a post.
It is often used to offer reactions or additional background to other users' comments, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded photo through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Policy
The system has been faulted for enabling users to produce photos and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was previously accused of making sexually explicit content of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the generation and distribution of these images for months without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "showing likenesses of people in a graphic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or share deepfakes or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "appropriate measures" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering illegal content on their platforms and to take down it swiftly when they become aware of it.
