The online network X has provoked major backlash after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by stripping their garments.
Multiple cases have surfaced where the technology has been employed to remove clothing from women to show them in swimwear without consent, as well as to insert them in inappropriate scenarios.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a jail term and heavy fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the risk" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some additional features—which answers X users' queries when they mention it in a post.
It is often used to give reactions or further context to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been criticised for allowing users to generate pictures and videos with nudity and sexualised material, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the generation and distribution of these images for months without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "depicting likenesses of people in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "suitable actions" to "lessen the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their services and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
