The online platform X has provoked widespread backlash after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of females by taking off their clothing.
Numerous instances have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to place them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, other than an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban nudification technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "receive a jail term and substantial penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Position and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' prompts when they tag it in a post.
It is often used to provide reactions or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to modify an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
History of Controversy and Rules
The system has been faulted for allowing users to create images and clips with nudity and sexualised material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in generating graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the generation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have not seen any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "showing images of people in a graphic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "appropriate steps" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering unlawful material on their services and to delete it quickly when they learn of it.
