The online network X has provoked widespread backlash after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to alter pictures of females by removing their clothing.
Numerous cases have been seen where the tool has been employed to virtually strip women to make them appear in swimwear without permission, as well as to place them in sexualized situations.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, except for an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being proposed to outlaw nudification software. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "face a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the risk" of people seeing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or additional context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also able to modify an uploaded picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been condemned for allowing users to produce photos and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate content of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the production and sharing of these pictures for months without taking any action and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "portraying likenesses of persons in a graphic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or circulate private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "necessary measures" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their services and to take down it swiftly when they become aware of it.
