The online platform X has caused significant outrage after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate photos of females by taking off their garments.
Several cases have emerged where the tool has been used to remove clothing from women to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in inappropriate scenarios.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, other than an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being proposed to ban nudification software. Under a upcoming law, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a jail term and heavy fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "consider the potential" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' prompts when they tag it in a post.
It is often used to offer reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to modify an uploaded image through its AI image editing function.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The system has been faulted for permitting users to produce pictures and clips with nudity and sexualised material, and it was in the past accused of creating inappropriate content of public figures.
"X has been allowing the production and sharing of these images for months without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing images of people in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and clarified this applied to sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
