The online platform X has provoked significant backlash after people utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate images of females by removing their garments.
Multiple cases have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in sexualized situations.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, aside from an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being introduced to ban nudification technology. Under a proposed law, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a jail term and heavy fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the potential" of people accessing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium features—which responds to X users' prompts when they reference it in a tweet.
It is often used to give commentary or further context to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of modify an uploaded picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been faulted for permitting users to produce images and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making graphic material of public figures.
"X has been enabling the creation and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any action by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "showing likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or distribute private pictures or illegal content" and stated this applied to sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "necessary actions" to "minimize the risk" of users coming across unlawful material on their services and to remove it swiftly when they become aware of it.
