The online network X has sparked major backlash after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by removing their garments.
Several cases have surfaced where the system has been employed to remove clothing from female subjects to show them in bikinis without permission, as well as to put them in sexually explicit contexts.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit nudification technology. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such technology would "receive a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Position and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people viewing illegal content on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some premium features—which responds to X users' queries when they reference it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to offer commentary or more background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can alter an posted picture through its AI image editing tool.
History of Controversy and Rules
The chatbot has been criticised for enabling users to generate images and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"X has been allowing the generation and spread of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "appropriate actions" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to take down it promptly when they learn of it.
