Elon Musk's social media network X has provoked widespread anger after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate photos of women by removing their clothing.
Numerous cases have surfaced where the tool has been used to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to place them in inappropriate situations.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, except for an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit nudification software. Under a upcoming law, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the potential" of people seeing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some additional functions—which answers X users' requests when they tag it in a message.
It is often used to offer commentary or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also can edit an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The system has been criticised for allowing users to generate photos and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit material of public figures.
"X has been allowing the generation and distribution of these images for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "portraying likenesses of individuals in a graphic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this covered explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering unlawful material on their services and to delete it promptly when they become aware of it.
