The online platform X has provoked major backlash after people employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter images of women by removing their attire.
Multiple instances have emerged where the system has been used to virtually strip women to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexualized contexts.
Developer Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to questions, except for an standard response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "face a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"The platform has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they mention it in a message.
It is often used to provide reactions or further background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can edit an posted photo through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been condemned for allowing users to produce pictures and videos with nudity and sexualised content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in creating graphic content of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying images of individuals in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the risk" of users viewing illegal content on their services and to take down it quickly when they become aware of it.
