The online platform X has caused significant backlash after users employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change photos of females by taking off their attire.
Several cases have been seen where the technology has been used to digitally undress female subjects to render them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, did not respond to questions, except for an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being introduced to outlaw image stripping software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the risk" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium functions—which answers X users' prompts when they reference it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or additional context to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been criticised for allowing users to create photos and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating graphic material of public figures.
"X has been permitting the production and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing likenesses of persons in a graphic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or share non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and clarified this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across unlawful content on their services and to take down it swiftly when they become aware of it.
