The online platform X has sparked significant outrage after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by taking off their clothing.
Several instances have surfaced where the tool has been used to virtually strip women to show them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexualized situations.
Company Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company that created Grok, remained silent to questions, aside from an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to outlaw nudification technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "face a jail term and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some additional features—which answers X users' prompts when they tag it in a tweet.
It is often used to provide reactions or further background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded photo through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been condemned for enabling users to generate pictures and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past accused of making graphic material of celebrities.
"The platform has been allowing the generation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not witnessed any action by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing likenesses of individuals in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or circulate deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this covered explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary actions" to "lessen the danger" of users encountering unlawful content on their services and to remove it promptly when they learn of it.
