The social media network X has caused significant anger after users employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change images of women by taking off their garments.
Multiple instances have been seen where the technology has been employed to remove clothing from women to make them appear in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, other than an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that new laws is being proposed to outlaw nudification tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "face a prison sentence and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok has the ability to stop these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the potential" of people seeing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in regarding AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which responds to X users' prompts when they mention it in a message.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or further background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been criticised for permitting users to produce photos and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was in the past accused of generating inappropriate material of public figures.
"X has been allowing the generation and spread of these images for months without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy forbids "depicting images of individuals in a sexually explicit way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or distribute private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this included explicit AI images made with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "suitable measures" to "reduce the risk" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to remove it swiftly when they are notified of it.
