The online platform X has provoked major outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate pictures of females by removing their attire.
Several cases have been seen where the technology has been used to virtually strip women to make them appear in swimwear without consent, as well as to insert them in inappropriate contexts.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, aside from an auto-reply message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban nudification software. Under a proposed law, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the risk" of people seeing illegal content on their services, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some premium features—which responds to X users' queries 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 able to alter an posted picture through its AI image editing tool.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been criticised for permitting users to produce pictures and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past accused of making sexually explicit content of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the generation and distribution of these images for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "showing likenesses of persons in a pornographic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "necessary actions" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering unlawful material on their services and to take down it promptly when they are notified of it.
