The online platform X has caused major outrage after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change photos of females by stripping their clothing.
Several examples have surfaced where the technology has been used to digitally undress women to make them appear in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in inappropriate situations.
Developer Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm behind Grok, remained silent to inquiries, except for an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a jail term and substantial fines".
"The platform could prevent these types of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the potential" of people seeing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which answers X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is often used to provide reactions or more context to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an uploaded photo through its AI image editing feature.
History of Controversy and Rules
The chatbot has been criticised for permitting users to create images and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier accused of generating inappropriate content of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the production and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "showing likenesses of people in a pornographic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or circulate private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "appropriate measures" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering unlawful content on their services and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
