The online network X has caused widespread backlash after individuals used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter photos of females by taking off their garments.
Multiple instances have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress women to render them in swimwear without permission, as well as to place them in sexualized scenarios.
Company Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the firm that created Grok, offered no comment to questions, aside from an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being introduced to ban image stripping software. Under a proposed law, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a prison sentence and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the potential" of people viewing illegal content on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they reference it in a post.
It is often used to give commentary or additional background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to produce images and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past accused of creating sexually explicit content of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the production and distribution of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "depicting images of individuals in a sexually explicit way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or share private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this included explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "suitable actions" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering unlawful material on their platforms and to remove it promptly when they learn of it.
