The online network X has provoked significant anger after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of women by removing their attire.
Several cases have been seen where the system has been used to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to put them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Company Reaction and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization that created Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, aside from an standard response stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a jail term and significant penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of abuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Regulator Position and Platform Functionality
The regulator Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the risk" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was currently investigating X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' queries when they mention it in a message.
It is frequently used to give reactions or more context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also can alter an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been faulted for permitting users to generate photos and footage with nudity and sexualised content, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in generating graphic material of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the creation and sharing of these pictures for months without taking any action and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own terms of service bans "portraying images of persons in a pornographic fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "appropriate measures" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering illegal material on their services and to take down it quickly when they become aware of it.
