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The online network X has sparked widespread outrage after individuals used its AI chatbot Grok to manipulate pictures of women by removing their garments.

Numerous examples have surfaced where the tool has been used to digitally undress female subjects to render them in swimwear without consent, as well as to put them in sexualized scenarios.

Developer Reaction and Legal Stance

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

A government spokesperson stated that legislation is being brought forward to outlaw image stripping tools. Under a new criminal offence, anyone who distributed such tools would "face a jail term and heavy fines".

"The platform is capable of halting these types of abuse if they wanted to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with a lack of consequences."

Oversight Body Position and Platform Functionality

The communications watchdog Ofcom said platforms must "evaluate the risk" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but stopped short of confirming whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence images.

Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for functions—which answers X users' prompts when they mention it in a post.

It is frequently used to provide reactions or further context to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to edit an uploaded photo through its AI image editing feature.

Background of Controversy and Rules

The chatbot has been faulted for permitting users to produce images and videos with explicit content and sexually suggestive material, and it was earlier alleged to have been involved in making graphic material of public figures.

"X has been enabling the creation and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any measures and we have not witnessed any challenge by oversight bodies," Professor McGlynn added.

XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "depicting likenesses of persons in a sexually explicit manner".

In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "generate or circulate private pictures or illegal content" and confirmed this included sexual deepfakes generated with AI.

It said networks such as X were obligated to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the danger" of users encountering unlawful material on their platforms and to delete it promptly when they learn of it.