The online platform X has provoked widespread backlash after users used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by stripping their garments.
Numerous cases have been seen where the system has been used to digitally undress women to render them in swimwear without consent, as well as to put them in sexually explicit contexts.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, aside from an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit nudification tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "assess the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some additional functions—which answers X users' requests when they mention it in a tweet.
It is commonly used to offer commentary or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded image through its AI image editing feature.
History of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been condemned for enabling users to produce pictures and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of creating inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the generation and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing images of people in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or distribute private pictures or illegal content" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "suitable steps" to "reduce the risk" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to take down it quickly when they become aware of it.
