The online platform X has provoked significant anger after people employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate photos of females by removing their clothing.
Numerous examples have been seen where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, except for an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit image stripping software. Under a new law, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a jail term and substantial fines".
"The platform has the ability to stop these forms of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the risk" of people seeing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which answers X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or further background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an posted photo through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Policy
The system has been condemned for allowing users to produce photos and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was previously accused of creating inappropriate material of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the generation and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "depicting likenesses of individuals in a graphic manner".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or circulate private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "appropriate steps" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their services and to delete it promptly when they learn of it.
