The online network X has sparked widespread backlash after people used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change photos of females by removing their garments.
Numerous instances have surfaced where the tool has been employed to virtually strip women to render them in swimwear without consent, as well as to place them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm that created Grok, remained silent to questions, except for an automatically-generated response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "face a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the potential" of people seeing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some additional functions—which reacts to X users' requests when they reference it in a tweet.
It is commonly used to provide reactions or more context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of edit an uploaded photo through its AI image editing tool.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been condemned for enabling users to produce images and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past accused of making sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the creation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "depicting likenesses of individuals in a graphic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or circulate private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the risk" of users encountering illegal content on their platforms and to take down it promptly when they are notified of it.
