Elon Musk's online network X has caused widespread outrage after individuals used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change pictures of women by removing their garments.
Multiple instances have been seen where the tool has been used to digitally undress women to show them in bikinis non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexually explicit scenarios.
Developer Reaction and Legal Position
XAI, the company that created Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, aside from an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A Home Office official stated that legislation is being brought forward to ban nudification software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "receive a prison sentence and substantial fines".
"X or Grok is capable of halting these forms of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality
The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.
Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a post.
It is commonly used to give reactions or additional context to other posters' comments, but people on X are also able to modify an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been criticised for permitting users to create images and videos with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making graphic content of public figures.
"The platform has been enabling the creation and sharing of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have yet to see any intervention by oversight bodies," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing likenesses of individuals in a pornographic way".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "make or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this covered sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the danger" of users encountering unlawful material on their platforms and to delete it promptly when they learn of it.
