The online platform X has caused widespread backlash after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter pictures of females by stripping their garments.
Numerous cases have surfaced where the system has been employed to digitally undress women to show them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit nudification software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Regulator Position and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they reference it in a tweet.
It is often used to provide reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded picture through its AI image editing tool.
History of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been criticised for enabling users to generate pictures and videos with nudity and sexualised content, and it was earlier accused of making sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the generation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any action and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "portraying images of people in a pornographic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "appropriate steps" to "minimize the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to remove it swiftly when they become aware of it.
