Elon Musk's online network X has sparked major backlash after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change images of females by removing their garments.
Several examples have emerged where the tool has been used to remove clothing from female subjects to make them appear in bikinis without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate situations.
Developer Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm behind Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, other than an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a upcoming law, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a jail term and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "assess the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which answers X users' requests when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to offer commentary or additional context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can edit an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Controversy and Policy
The system has been criticised for permitting users to produce pictures and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying likenesses of individuals in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the risk" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to delete it swiftly when they become aware of it.
