The online network X has provoked widespread backlash after users employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate photos of females by removing their attire.
Several instances have been seen where the technology has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to show them in swimwear without consent, as well as to insert them in sexualized scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, except for an standard response stating "legacy media lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "receive a jail term and heavy penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the potential" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a tweet.
It is often used to offer commentary or additional background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also able to edit an uploaded picture through its AI image editing feature.
History of Controversy and Rules
The system has been criticised for permitting users to produce images and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier accused of generating graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the production and spread of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "showing images of people in a sexually explicit way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or share private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images created with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "suitable steps" to "minimize the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their platforms and to delete it promptly when they learn of it.
