The online network X has caused significant anger after people used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter pictures of females by stripping their clothing.
Numerous instances have surfaced where the system has been employed to remove clothing from female subjects to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to put them in sexualized situations.
Company Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, other than an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being proposed to outlaw image stripping software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a jail term and significant penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of abuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional features—which responds to X users' requests when they mention it in a message.
It is often used to give reactions or more background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been faulted for allowing users to create images and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in creating inappropriate content of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the creation and spread of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules prohibits "showing likenesses of persons in a pornographic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or share private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this covered explicit AI images made with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "necessary steps" to "minimize the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to remove it quickly when they learn of it.
