The online network X has caused major outrage after users utilized its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to manipulate images of females by taking off their clothing.
Several examples have been seen where the technology has been used to remove clothing from women to make them appear in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in sexualized situations.
Developer Response and Regulatory Position
XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to inquiries, except for an automatically-generated response stating "legacy media lies".
A government representative stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit nudification software. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a prison sentence and significant penalties".
"The platform is capable of halting these types of misuse if they wanted to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Platform Capabilities
The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the danger" of people accessing illegal content on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time examining X or Grok in regarding AI-generated images.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some premium functions—which reacts to X users' queries when they reference it in a tweet.
It is often used to provide reactions or additional context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also capable of alter an uploaded picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification tool.
Background of Controversy and Rules
The system has been faulted for enabling users to produce pictures and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in generating inappropriate content of celebrities.
"X has been allowing the creation and spread of these pictures 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 prohibits "portraying images of persons in a graphic way".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or circulate non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this applied to explicit AI images generated with AI.
It said networks such as X were mandated to take "necessary steps" to "reduce the risk" of users coming across illegal content on their platforms and to take down it quickly when they become aware of it.
