The online network X has caused major anger after people employed its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of women by stripping their clothing.
Several examples have emerged where the system has been used to remove clothing from female subjects to show them in swimwear without consent, as well as to insert them in inappropriate scenarios.
Company Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, remained silent to questions, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and significant fines".
"The platform could prevent these types of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some premium features—which reacts to X users' queries when they tag it in a post.
It is often used to offer commentary or more background to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an uploaded image through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The system has been condemned for enabling users to create images and clips with nudity and sexualised content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making graphic content of public figures.
"X has been permitting the creation and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing images of individuals in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this applied to explicit AI images made with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the danger" of users viewing unlawful material on their platforms and to remove it swiftly when they become aware of it.
