The online network X has provoked major outrage after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change images of females by taking off their attire.
Multiple examples have been seen where the system has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, offered no comment to questions, other than an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being proposed to ban nudification software. Under a new law, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a jail term and heavy fines".
"The platform could prevent these forms of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the potential" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently examining X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' queries when they reference it in a post.
It is commonly used to give commentary or further background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to modify an posted picture through its AI image editing function.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The chatbot has been criticised for permitting users to create photos and clips with nudity and sexualised content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate material of public figures.
"X has been enabling the creation and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "showing images of people in a graphic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or share deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and stated this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across illegal content on their platforms and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
