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The online network X has provoked significant outrage after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of women by stripping their attire.

Numerous examples have emerged where the system has been employed to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to put them in inappropriate contexts.

Developer Reaction and Regulatory Stance

XAI, the firm responsible for Grok, did not respond to inquiries, other than an standard message stating "traditional news outlets lies".

A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit nudification tools. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "receive a prison sentence and significant penalties".

"X or Grok has the ability to stop these forms of abuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."

Regulator Stance and Tool Capabilities

The regulator Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the risk" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but stopped short of confirming whether it was presently examining X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.

Grok is a no-cost AI assistant—with some premium functions—which responds to X users' queries when they mention it in a post.

It is commonly used to give commentary or more context to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an posted picture through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.

Background of Controversy and Policy

The tool has been criticised for allowing users to generate pictures and footage with nudity and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making inappropriate content of public figures.

"The platform has been allowing the generation and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not seen any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.

XAI's own terms of service bans "portraying likenesses of persons in a pornographic fashion".

In a statement, Ofcom said it was against the law to "create or circulate deepfakes or child sexual abuse material" and confirmed this covered explicit AI images made with AI.

It said services such as X were mandated to take "appropriate measures" to "lessen the danger" of users coming across illegal material on their platforms and to take down it quickly when they learn of it.