The social media network X has caused widespread backlash after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter photos of women by removing their garments.
Multiple examples have been seen where the tool has been employed to remove clothing from women to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in inappropriate contexts.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, did not respond to questions, except for an auto-reply message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being introduced to outlaw image stripping software. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such tools would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".
"The platform could prevent these types of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the risk" of people viewing illegal content on their networks, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently examining X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which answers X users' prompts when they mention it in a message.
It is commonly used to give commentary or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of edit an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been condemned for permitting users to create images and clips with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating sexually explicit material of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the production and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have not seen any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "portraying images of individuals in a pornographic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "necessary actions" to "reduce the risk" of users viewing illegal material on their services and to remove it swiftly when they are notified of it.
