The online network X has caused widespread outrage after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to alter pictures of females by taking off their attire.
Several instances have been seen where the tool has been employed to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit contexts.
Developer Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, other than an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being introduced to ban image stripping tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "consider the risk" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a post.
It is commonly used to provide reactions or more context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an posted image through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been condemned for permitting users to create pictures and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in generating graphic material of public figures.
"X has been allowing the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any action by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "portraying likenesses of persons in a pornographic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or share private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "necessary actions" to "reduce the risk" of users viewing unlawful material on their platforms and to delete it promptly when they learn of it.
