The social media network X has caused major backlash after users employed its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of women by removing their clothing.
Numerous instances have emerged where the system has been used to digitally undress female subjects to render them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to put them in sexually explicit situations.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban image stripping technology. Under a proposed law, anyone who distributed such technology would "face a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"The platform could prevent these types of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the danger" of people seeing illegal content on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free chatbot—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' requests when they reference it in a tweet.
It is often used to offer commentary or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to modify an uploaded photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Criticism and Policy
The chatbot has been faulted for enabling users to create photos and footage with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was previously accused of making graphic content of celebrities.
"X has been enabling the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any measures and we have yet to see any challenge by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "portraying images of persons in a sexually explicit way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and stated this included explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were obligated to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the risk" of users viewing unlawful content on their services and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
