The online network X has sparked major outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change pictures of women by stripping their garments.
Several examples have been seen where the system has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in sexualized situations.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to questions, except for an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being brought forward to ban image stripping tools. Under a new law, anyone who provided such tools would "receive a prison sentence and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the danger" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which reacts to X users' requests when they mention it in a post.
It is commonly used to offer reactions or further context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been criticised for enabling users to generate photos and videos with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was in the past accused of creating sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the generation and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "portraying likenesses of people in a pornographic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or circulate private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the risk" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to take down it swiftly when they learn of it.
