The online network X has sparked significant outrage after people utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change images of females by taking off their clothing.
Numerous cases have surfaced where the technology has been employed to digitally undress female subjects to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit situations.
Company Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to inquiries, except for an automatically-generated message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being introduced to outlaw nudification tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who provided such tools would "receive a jail term and substantial fines".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."
Regulator Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some additional features—which answers X users' requests when they mention it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give commentary or further context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted photo through its AI image editing feature.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been condemned for permitting users to create photos and clips with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was previously accused of generating inappropriate content of public figures.
"X has been permitting the generation and sharing of these images for months without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any intervention by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service prohibits "showing images of individuals in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was illegal to "generate or circulate deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said services such as X were mandated to take "necessary measures" to "reduce the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their platforms and to take down it quickly when they become aware of it.
