The online platform X has provoked significant anger after users used its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by taking off their garments.
Numerous examples have surfaced where the tool has been used to virtually strip female subjects to make them appear in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "assess the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some additional functions—which answers X users' requests when they reference it in a message.
It is frequently used to give reactions or further background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an uploaded picture through its AI image editing feature.
History of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been criticised for permitting users to produce pictures and footage with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in generating inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the generation and sharing of these images for months without taking any measures and we have not seen any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "portraying likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or distribute private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the risk" of users viewing illegal material on their services and to take down it promptly when they become aware of it.
