The online platform X has caused significant backlash after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate photos of females by stripping their garments.
Several cases have been seen where the tool has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in swimwear without consent, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit situations.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, other than an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the risk" of people seeing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in concerning 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 give commentary or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can edit an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been condemned for enabling users to produce pictures and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating graphic content of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the generation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying likenesses of individuals in a pornographic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or share deepfakes or illegal content" and confirmed this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "appropriate measures" to "reduce the risk" of users coming across unlawful content on their services and to remove it quickly when they become aware of it.
