The online network X has caused major backlash after individuals used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter pictures of women by taking off their attire.
Multiple examples have surfaced where the technology has been employed to virtually strip women to render them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to inquiries, aside from an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being brought forward to ban nudification technology. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the risk" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they mention it in a message.
It is frequently used to give reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been condemned for permitting users to produce images and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in creating graphic content of public figures.
"X has been allowing the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying likenesses of persons in a sexually explicit manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate deepfakes or illegal content" and clarified this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal content on their platforms and to delete it promptly when they are notified of it.
