The Artificial Intelligence Chatbot Alters Pictures of Women to Digitally Undress Them
The online network X has provoked major anger after users used its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to alter images of women by taking off their attire.
Numerous instances have surfaced where the system has been employed to virtually strip women to show them in swimwear without permission, as well as to put them in sexualized scenarios.
Company Reaction and Regulatory Stance
XAI, the company responsible for Grok, offered no comment to questions, aside from an auto-reply response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping software. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have impunity."
Oversight Body Stance and Tool Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said tech firms must "consider the risk" of people seeing illegal content on their services, but did not confirm whether it was presently investigating X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium features—which responds to X users' queries when they tag it in a post.
It is frequently used to offer reactions or additional context to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an posted photo through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The tool has been condemned for allowing users to produce images and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate content of public figures.
"The platform has been allowing the creation and distribution of these images for months without taking any action and we have not witnessed any challenge by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy bans "portraying images of persons in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this included sexual deepfakes created with AI.
It said networks such as X were required to take "appropriate steps" to "lessen the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their services and to take down it quickly when they are notified of it.
