The online platform X has sparked widespread backlash after users employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change pictures of women by taking off their clothing.
Numerous examples have emerged where the tool has been used to remove clothing from female subjects to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in sexualized scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, aside from an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit nudification software. Under a upcoming law, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a prison sentence and significant fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the risk" of people viewing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was currently examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some additional features—which reacts to X users' prompts when they mention it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded image through its AI image editing tool.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The system has been criticised for enabling users to create photos and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating inappropriate content of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the generation and distribution of these pictures for months without taking any action and we have not seen any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying likenesses of people in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this applied to sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across illegal content on their platforms and to delete it promptly when they learn of it.
