Elon Musk's online platform X has caused widespread outrage after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change images of females by taking off their garments.
Multiple instances have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress women to show them in swimwear without consent, as well as to place them in sexualized situations.
Developer Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, except for an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office official stated that new laws is being introduced to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a new law, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and significant penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the danger" of people accessing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' prompts when they tag it in a tweet.
It is often used to give commentary or further context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
History of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to generate photos and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier accused of creating sexually explicit content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the production and spread of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "portraying images of people in a pornographic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this covered sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "suitable actions" to "reduce the risk" of users viewing illegal material on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
