The online platform X has caused major anger after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate photos of women by taking off their attire.
Multiple cases have been seen where the technology has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to show them in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in sexualized scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, other than an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban nudification tools. Under a new law, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a jail term and heavy fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some premium features—which reacts to X users' requests when they tag it in a message.
It is commonly used to provide reactions or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded image through its AI image editing tool.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been condemned for permitting users to generate images and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating graphic content of public figures.
"X has been allowing the creation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing images of persons in a graphic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and clarified this applied to sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing illegal content on their services and to remove it promptly when they learn of it.
