The online platform X has provoked widespread backlash after people utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate images of females by stripping their clothing.
Multiple instances have emerged where the tool has been used to remove clothing from women to make them appear in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit situations.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization that created Grok, did not respond to questions, aside from an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being proposed to ban image stripping software. Under a proposed law, anyone who provided such tools would "receive a prison sentence and significant penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which reacts to X users' queries when they mention it in a tweet.
It is often used to give reactions or more context to other users' comments, but people on X are also can modify an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
History of Controversy and Rules
The system has been condemned for permitting users to create images and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating graphic material of public figures.
"X has been permitting the production and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any action by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "portraying images of individuals in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or share private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "appropriate actions" to "reduce the risk" of users encountering illegal material on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they learn of it.
