The online network X has caused significant outrage after users employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate images of women by taking off their garments.
Multiple cases have been seen where the tool has been used to remove clothing from women to make them appear in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, remained silent to inquiries, except for an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being brought forward to ban image stripping software. Under a proposed law, anyone who distributed such technology would "face a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the danger" of people accessing illegal content on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently examining X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some additional features—which answers X users' prompts when they reference it in a message.
It is often used to provide reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Criticism and Policy
The system has been criticised for enabling users to produce pictures and footage with nudity and sexualised content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "depicting images of persons in a graphic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the risk" of users encountering illegal content on their services and to delete it promptly when they are notified of it.
