Elon Musk's social media network X has provoked significant anger after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by removing their garments.
Multiple instances have emerged where the technology has been employed to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to questions, except for an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being introduced to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a prison sentence and significant penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "consider the risk" of people seeing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was currently examining X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some premium features—which responds to X users' queries when they mention 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 edit an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been condemned for allowing users to create images and clips with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating inappropriate content of public figures.
"X has been allowing the creation and sharing of these images for months without taking any action and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "depicting likenesses of individuals in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or distribute 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 measures" to "lessen the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their platforms and to delete it promptly when they learn of it.
