The online network X has sparked significant outrage after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change photos of females by stripping their garments.
Multiple instances have surfaced where the tool has been used to remove clothing from women to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, except for an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw nudification software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "receive a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "consider the danger" of people seeing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some premium features—which responds to X users' prompts when they reference it in a tweet.
It is commonly used to offer commentary or further background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Criticism and Rules
The system has been condemned for allowing users to produce photos and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the generation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "portraying likenesses of people in a pornographic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal 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 obligated to take "appropriate steps" to "minimize the danger" of users coming across unlawful material on their services and to remove it promptly when they are notified of it.
