The online network X has provoked major outrage after users employed its AI chatbot Grok to change images of women by removing their attire.
Multiple examples have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress female subjects to show them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit situations.
Developer Response and Legal Position
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit nudification software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "consider the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently examining X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some premium features—which answers X users' prompts when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to provide commentary or additional background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded photo through its AI image editing tool.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The chatbot has been condemned for allowing users to create pictures and clips with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past accused of creating sexually explicit material of celebrities.
"The platform has been permitting the production and distribution of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have not seen any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "showing likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "suitable actions" to "reduce the risk" of users encountering unlawful material on their services and to delete it quickly when they become aware of it.
