Elon Musk's social media network X has caused major backlash after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to change photos of women by removing their garments.
Multiple examples have surfaced where the system has been employed to remove clothing from female subjects to render them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in sexually explicit situations.
XAI, the organization behind Grok, did not respond to requests for comment, other than an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A Home Office spokesperson stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit image stripping technology. Under a proposed law, anyone who provided such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and heavy fines".
"The platform has the ability to stop these types of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "assess the potential" of people accessing unlawful material on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was currently examining X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.
Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional features—which responds to X users' requests when they reference it in a tweet.
It is frequently used to give reactions or more context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also able to alter an uploaded image through its AI image editing feature.
The tool has been condemned for permitting users to create pictures and videos with nudity and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate material of public figures.
"X has been enabling the production and spread of these images for months without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.
XAI's own usage rules bans "portraying likenesses of individuals in a sexually explicit fashion".
In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and stated this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.
It said platforms such as X were obligated to take "suitable steps" to "minimize the danger" of users coming across illegal content on their services and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
Maya Chen is a freelance writer and urban enthusiast with a passion for documenting city life and cultural shifts.
