The online network X has caused widespread backlash after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter photos of females by taking off their attire.
Multiple examples have emerged where the system has been employed to remove clothing from women to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, did not respond to inquiries, other than an auto-reply message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit nudification tools. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and heavy penalties".
"The platform could prevent these forms of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the danger" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is frequently used to offer commentary or additional background to other users' comments, but people on X are also can modify an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The system has been condemned for allowing users to create images and footage with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate content of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the production and distribution of these images for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "depicting images of individuals in a pornographic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or distribute deepfakes or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the risk" of users encountering unlawful material on their services and to delete it quickly when they become aware of it.
