The social media network X has caused significant outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate pictures of females by removing their attire.
Numerous instances have emerged where the tool has been employed to remove clothing from female subjects to make them appear in swimwear without consent, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Response and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, remained silent to questions, except for an standard message stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office official stated that new laws is being proposed to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the danger" of people seeing illegal content on their networks, but did not specify whether it was currently examining X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium features—which reacts to X users' queries when they mention it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give commentary or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of modify an posted image through its AI image editing tool.
History of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been criticised for allowing users to create pictures and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was previously alleged to have been involved in generating inappropriate material of public figures.
"The platform has been permitting the generation and spread of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "portraying images of persons in a graphic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or share private pictures or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this applied to explicit AI images created with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "appropriate steps" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their platforms and to take down it promptly when they are notified of it.
