The online platform X has provoked significant outrage after users employed its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate pictures of women by stripping their clothing.
Multiple examples have emerged where the system has been used to remove clothing from women to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in sexualized scenarios.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the company behind Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit nudification software. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently examining X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional features—which responds to X users' requests when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to give reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
History of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been condemned for permitting users to produce pictures and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was previously accused of creating graphic material of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the creation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have yet to see any action by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "depicting likenesses of people in a graphic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or circulate deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this covered explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "suitable steps" to "lessen the danger" of users coming across unlawful content on their platforms and to remove it swiftly when they become aware of it.
