The online network X has caused major outrage after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change images of females by removing their attire.
Several cases have emerged where the technology has been employed to digitally undress women to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to place them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office official stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit nudification technology. Under a proposed law, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the danger" of people seeing illegal content on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium features—which responds to X users' queries when they tag it in a tweet.
It is often used to provide commentary or further background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can edit an posted picture through its AI image editing feature.
History of Controversy and Rules
The system has been criticised for enabling users to create photos and videos with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in generating inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and distribution of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have yet to see any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "portraying images of persons in a sexually explicit way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or distribute private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this included explicit AI images created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "suitable actions" to "minimize the danger" of users viewing unlawful material on their services and to delete it swiftly when they become aware of it.
