Elon Musk's online network X has provoked significant backlash after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of females by stripping their garments.
Several cases have been seen where the technology has been used to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to put them in inappropriate scenarios.
Developer Response and Legal Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, except for an standard response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban image stripping software. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such technology would "receive a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"The platform could prevent these types of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Position and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "consider the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional features—which answers X users' prompts when they mention it in a tweet.
It is commonly used to give commentary or additional background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an posted image through its AI image editing function.
History of Criticism and Rules
The system has been condemned for permitting users to produce pictures and videos with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was in the past accused of creating graphic material of celebrities.
"The platform has been allowing the production and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "portraying images of individuals in a graphic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and clarified this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing illegal content on their services and to remove it quickly when they learn of it.
