Elon Musk's online network X has sparked significant backlash after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change images of women by removing their clothing.
Multiple cases have emerged where the system has been used to virtually strip women to make them appear in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in inappropriate situations.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office official stated that new laws is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a jail term and significant fines".
"The platform has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the risk" of people viewing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some additional features—which responds to X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.
It is commonly used to provide reactions or additional background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The chatbot has been criticised for permitting users to generate images and footage with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was previously accused of making inappropriate content of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the production and distribution of these images for months without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "showing likenesses of people in a graphic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or share deepfakes or illegal content" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "suitable steps" to "reduce the risk" of users coming across illegal content on their platforms and to remove it swiftly when they are notified of it.
