The online network X has caused widespread backlash after individuals employed its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate pictures of females by taking off their clothing.
Numerous cases have surfaced where the system has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis without permission, as well as to insert them in inappropriate situations.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm that created Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being proposed to outlaw nudification technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the danger" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' queries when they tag it in a message.
It is frequently used to provide reactions or more context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted photo through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been faulted for enabling users to create pictures and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating graphic material of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the generation and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "portraying images of people in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this covered explicit AI images made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to delete it quickly when they learn of it.
