The online network X has provoked major backlash after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change pictures of females by removing their attire.
Several examples have surfaced where the tool has been employed to remove clothing from female subjects to render them in swimwear without consent, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to questions, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit nudification tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "face a jail term and significant fines".
"The platform has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Regulator Stance and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the potential" of people accessing unlawful material on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' requests when they tag it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give commentary or additional context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also able to modify an posted image through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been condemned for allowing users to generate photos and videos with nudity and sexualised material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate content of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the creation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying images of persons in a pornographic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the danger" of users coming across illegal content on their services and to remove it swiftly when they are notified of it.
