The online platform X has provoked major outrage after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change photos of women by taking off their attire.
Multiple instances have surfaced where the tool has been employed to virtually strip women to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company that created Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being introduced to ban image stripping software. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a jail term and substantial fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the potential" of people seeing illegal content on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently examining X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some premium functions—which answers X users' prompts when they reference it in a message.
It is commonly used to offer commentary or more background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been criticised for allowing users to create images and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier accused of making inappropriate material of celebrities.
"X has been allowing the production and distribution of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or share private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary measures" to "minimize the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they learn of it.
