Elon Musk's online platform X has provoked widespread anger after users used its AI chatbot Grok to alter pictures of women by removing their garments.
Multiple instances have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit contexts.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, aside from an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit nudification technology. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to 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 "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the potential" of people viewing unlawful material on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' queries when they tag it in a tweet.
It is often used to give reactions or more background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of edit an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Controversy and Policy
The system has been criticised for permitting users to create photos and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating graphic content of public figures.
"X has been permitting the generation and spread of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "showing images of people in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or circulate private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the risk" of users viewing illegal content on their services and to take down it promptly when they are notified of it.
