The online platform X has provoked major outrage after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate photos of females by taking off their garments.
Several instances have surfaced where the system has been used to digitally undress female subjects to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexualized scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm behind Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office official stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit nudification technology. Under a upcoming law, anyone who distributed such technology would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some premium features—which responds to X users' prompts when they tag it in a post.
It is often used to offer commentary or more context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of modify an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been condemned for enabling users to create pictures and footage with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was earlier accused of making graphic content of public figures.
"X 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 intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules bans "portraying images of individuals in a sexually explicit manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the risk" of users viewing unlawful content on their services and to delete it swiftly when they are notified of it.
