🔗 Share this article

The online platform X has caused widespread outrage after individuals utilized its AI chatbot Grok to change pictures of females by removing their garments.

Several examples have emerged where the tool has been used to digitally undress female subjects to render them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexualized contexts.

Developer Response and Regulatory Position

XAI, the organization that created Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, other than an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".

A Home Office representative stated that legislation is being proposed to ban image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "be subject to a jail term and substantial penalties".

"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of misuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."

Regulator Position and Platform Functionality

The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "evaluate the risk" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in concerning AI-generated pictures.

Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional functions—which answers X users' requests when they mention it in a message.

It is frequently used to give reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an uploaded picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.

Background of Criticism and Rules

The chatbot has been criticised for allowing users to generate photos and videos with nudity and sexualised material, and it was in the past accused of creating graphic material of celebrities.

"X has been enabling the production and spread of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have yet to see any intervention by regulators," the expert added.

XAI's own usage rules prohibits "showing likenesses of persons in a pornographic fashion".

In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or distribute private pictures or illegal content" and stated this applied to sexual deepfakes made with AI.

It said platforms such as X were mandated to take "suitable steps" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering illegal material on their platforms and to delete it quickly when they learn of it.