The online network X has caused significant outrage after people utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate images of females by removing their attire.
Several examples have emerged where the tool has been used to remove clothing from women to render them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexualized contexts.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company that created Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping tools. Under a proposed law, anyone who supplied such tools would "receive a jail term and significant penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the risk" of people viewing illegal content on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in concerning artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional functions—which answers X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is frequently used to offer commentary or more background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted photo through its AI image editing feature.
History of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been criticised for enabling users to create pictures and footage with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making graphic material of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have yet to see any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "showing images of persons in a sexually explicit manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or circulate private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this applied to sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "suitable measures" to "lessen the risk" of users viewing illegal content on their services and to delete it quickly when they are notified of it.
