The online platform X has provoked widespread anger after individuals employed its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of women by removing their clothing.
Several cases have emerged where the technology has been used to remove clothing from women to render them in swimwear without consent, as well as to place them in inappropriate situations.
Company Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization that created Grok, remained silent to inquiries, except for an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "receive a jail term and heavy fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "consider the potential" of people accessing unlawful material on their networks, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which responds to X users' requests when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to offer commentary or more background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can edit an uploaded photo through its AI image editing function.
History of Controversy and Policy
The chatbot has been criticised for permitting users to create images and footage with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was in the past accused of making inappropriate material of public figures.
"X has been permitting the production and spread of these images for months without taking any steps and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing likenesses of individuals in a graphic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or circulate private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "suitable steps" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their platforms and to take down it swiftly when they learn of it.
