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The online platform X has caused major outrage after people used its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by stripping their garments.

Several instances have surfaced where the system has been used to remove clothing from women to show them in bikinis without consent, as well as to insert them in inappropriate scenarios.

Company Reaction and Legal Stance

XAI, the company that created Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, other than an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".

A government representative stated that legislation is being introduced to outlaw image stripping technology. Under a upcoming criminal offence, anyone who provided such technology would "face a prison sentence and heavy penalties".

"X or Grok could prevent these forms of misuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with impunity."

Oversight Body Stance and Platform Capabilities

The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "evaluate the danger" of people viewing unlawful material on their networks, but did not confirm whether it was at this time investigating X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence images.

Grok is a free AI assistant—with some premium features—which responds to X users' queries when they tag it in a message.

It is commonly used to provide commentary or further background to other posters' remarks, but people on X are also capable of modify an posted image through its artificial intelligence picture modification function.

Background of Criticism and Policy

The chatbot has been condemned for enabling users to produce photos and clips with explicit content and sexually suggestive content, and it was in the past accused of making graphic material of celebrities.

"X has been enabling the creation and distribution of these images for a long time without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," Professor McGlynn added.

XAI's own terms of service bans "depicting images of persons in a graphic way".

In a statement, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "make or circulate private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this applied to explicit AI images created with AI.

It said networks such as X were obligated to take "appropriate actions" to "reduce the danger" of users viewing unlawful material on their platforms and to remove it quickly when they are notified of it.