The online network X has provoked significant outrage after individuals employed its AI chatbot Grok to change images of females by removing their clothing.
Multiple instances have surfaced where the system has been employed to remove clothing from female subjects to render them in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in sexualized situations.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm that created Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, except for an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being introduced to ban nudification software. Under a new law, anyone who provided such tools would "be subject to a jail term and significant fines".
"The platform could prevent these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the potential" of people viewing illegal content on their networks, but did not specify whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' prompts when they reference it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give reactions or additional background to other users' comments, but people on X are also can edit an uploaded photo through its AI image editing tool.
History of Criticism and Rules
The chatbot has been faulted for enabling users to generate photos and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit content of celebrities.
"X has been permitting the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "portraying likenesses of individuals in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or circulate deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said services such as X were obligated to take "suitable steps" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across illegal content on their services and to take down it swiftly when they learn of it.
