Elon Musk's online platform X has caused widespread outrage after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by removing their garments.
Multiple examples have emerged where the technology has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in sexualized situations.
Company Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the firm that created Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, aside from an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit nudification tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "face a jail term and substantial penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they chose to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional features—which answers X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is often used to provide commentary or additional context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of modify an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The system has been condemned for allowing users to produce photos and footage with nudity and sexualised content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate material of celebrities.
"The platform has been enabling the production and distribution of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service forbids "showing likenesses of individuals in a graphic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "suitable steps" to "minimize the risk" of users coming across illegal material on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they are notified of it.
