The online network X has caused major backlash after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of women by taking off their attire.
Several instances have been seen where the tool has been used to remove clothing from female subjects to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw nudification tools. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a jail term and heavy fines".
"The platform could prevent these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the potential" of people seeing unlawful material on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some premium features—which reacts to X users' requests when they mention it in a post.
It is commonly used to give reactions or additional background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded picture through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to produce pictures and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the production and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "depicting likenesses of individuals in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this covered sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the risk" of users coming across illegal content on their services and to remove it swiftly when they become aware of it.
