The online network X has caused significant outrage after individuals utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate images of females by removing their attire.
Numerous examples have surfaced where the tool has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to make them appear in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit contexts.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to questions, except for an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit nudification tools. Under a new law, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these types of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "consider the potential" of people viewing unlawful material on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' queries when they tag it in a message.
It is often used to provide commentary or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also capable of edit an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The tool has been condemned for enabling users to create photos and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was earlier accused of making graphic content of public figures.
"X has been allowing the production and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing likenesses of people in a pornographic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or share non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this covered sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the danger" of users viewing illegal content on their platforms and to remove it swiftly when they are notified of it.
