The online network X has sparked widespread outrage after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by removing their clothing.
Numerous examples have been seen where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to place them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm that created Grok, offered no comment to questions, aside from an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit nudification technology. Under a new law, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a jail term and heavy fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their networks, but did not specify whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which reacts to X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.
It is often used to offer reactions or more context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also capable of modify an uploaded photo through its AI image editing tool.
History of Controversy and Rules
The system has been condemned for enabling users to create pictures and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making graphic material of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the production and spread of these images for months without taking any action and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "portraying images of individuals in a pornographic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or circulate deepfakes or illegal content" and clarified this applied to explicit AI images made with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering illegal content on their services and to remove it quickly when they learn of it.
