The online platform X has provoked significant backlash after individuals employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change pictures of females by removing their clothing.
Several cases have surfaced where the technology has been used to digitally undress female subjects to show them in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to questions, aside from an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a jail term and substantial fines".
"The platform could prevent these forms of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which answers X users' requests when they reference it in a message.
It is commonly used to provide commentary or additional context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an uploaded picture through its AI image editing feature.
History of Controversy and Policy
The system has been faulted for permitting users to produce photos and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit material of public figures.
"X has been enabling the production and spread of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing images of people in a graphic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or share private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary actions" to "lessen the danger" of users encountering unlawful material on their platforms and to remove it swiftly when they become aware of it.
