Elon Musk's online network X has caused major outrage after users used its AI chatbot Grok to change images of women by taking off their attire.
Several examples have emerged where the technology has been used to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis without consent, as well as to put them in sexually explicit contexts.
Company Response and Legal Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, remained silent to inquiries, aside from an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban nudification technology. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who supplied such technology would "receive a jail term and heavy fines".
"The platform could prevent these forms of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but did not confirm whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a free AI assistant—with some additional functions—which responds to X users' queries when they reference it in a post.
It is commonly used to provide reactions or additional context to other users' comments, but people on X are also can alter an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Policy
The tool has been faulted for enabling users to create photos and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making graphic content of celebrities.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have not seen any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own usage rules forbids "portraying likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or distribute private pictures or illegal content" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the risk" of users viewing illegal content on their services and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.
