The online network X has caused significant backlash after people used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate photos of women by stripping their garments.
Multiple cases have been seen where the tool has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in swimwear without permission, as well as to place them in sexualized contexts.
Company Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization that created Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that new laws is being introduced to ban image stripping software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"The platform could prevent these types of abuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some additional features—which answers X users' queries when they reference it in a message.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or more context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to alter an posted image through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been faulted for permitting users to generate pictures and footage with nudity and sexualised content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making graphic material of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any action by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying likenesses of persons in a sexually explicit manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "necessary measures" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they become aware of it.
