The social media network X has caused major outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate pictures of women by removing their garments.
Multiple instances have surfaced where the technology has been employed to remove clothing from women to make them appear in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to questions, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being brought forward to ban nudification software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "receive a jail term and significant penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some additional functions—which answers X users' requests when they mention it in a message.
It is commonly used to provide reactions or further background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
History of Controversy and Rules
The system has been criticised for enabling users to create pictures and clips with nudity and sexualised content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in creating sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "showing images of persons in a graphic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or share private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the risk" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to remove it promptly when they are notified of it.
