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The online platform X has sparked major outrage after users utilized its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate pictures of women by stripping their attire.

Numerous instances have surfaced where the system has been employed to virtually strip female subjects to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in sexually explicit scenarios.

Developer Reaction and Legal Position

XAI, the firm behind Grok, offered no comment to inquiries, aside from an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".

A government representative stated that legislation is being proposed to prohibit nudification technology. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who distributed such technology would "face a prison sentence and substantial penalties".

"X or Grok is capable of halting these types of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "seem to have a lack of consequences."

Oversight Body Position and Tool Capabilities

The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the potential" of people seeing illegal content on their platforms, but did not specify whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.

Grok is a no-cost chatbot—with some additional features—which answers X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.

It is often used to give commentary or further background to other posters' comments, but people on X are also capable of edit an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.

Background of Criticism and Rules

The system has been condemned for allowing users to generate pictures and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making sexually explicit material of celebrities.

"X has been permitting the creation and spread of these pictures for months without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any intervention by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.

XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing likenesses of persons in a pornographic manner".

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

It said networks such as X were obligated to take "necessary steps" to "lessen the danger" of users viewing unlawful content on their services and to delete it swiftly when they become aware of it.