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The social media network X has provoked widespread backlash after users employed its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by removing their attire.

Multiple cases have emerged where the system has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to show them in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit scenarios.

Developer Response and Regulatory Position

XAI, the organization responsible for Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, except for an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".

A government official stated that new laws is being introduced to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a proposed law, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a jail term and significant penalties".

"X or Grok could prevent these types of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy a lack of consequences."

Oversight Body Position and Tool Capabilities

The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the potential" of people accessing illegal content on their networks, but did not specify whether it was presently looking into X or Grok in relation to AI-generated images.

Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which responds to X users' requests when they tag it in a message.

It is commonly used to give commentary or more background to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can alter an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.

Background of Controversy and Rules

The chatbot has been criticised for permitting users to generate images and clips with nudity and sexualised material, and it was in the past accused of creating inappropriate material of celebrities.

"The platform has been permitting the production and sharing of these images for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.

XAI's own usage rules forbids "portraying likenesses of people in a pornographic way".

In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "generate or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this covered sexual deepfakes made with AI.

It said networks such as X were required to take "necessary actions" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering unlawful content on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they are notified of it.