Elon Musk's social media network X has sparked major backlash after users used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate images of females by taking off their attire.
Several examples have emerged where the technology has been used to digitally undress female subjects to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to put them in inappropriate situations.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, did not respond to inquiries, except for an automatically-generated message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit image stripping software. Under a proposed law, anyone who supplied such tools would "receive a prison sentence and significant penalties".
"The platform could prevent these types of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people accessing illegal content on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was presently examining X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which reacts to X users' requests when they reference it in a tweet.
It is commonly used to offer commentary or further background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of modify an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been condemned for allowing users to generate images and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier accused of creating inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the generation and spread of these images for months without taking any action and we have yet to see any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "portraying likenesses of persons in a sexually explicit way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "suitable steps" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing illegal material on their services and to take down it swiftly when they become aware of it.
