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The online platform X has caused significant backlash after users employed its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by taking off their garments.

Numerous examples have surfaced where the system has been employed to virtually strip women to make them appear in swimwear non-consensually, as well as to place them in sexualized scenarios.

Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position

XAI, the company behind Grok, remained silent to questions, except for an auto-reply response stating "legacy media lies".

A government representative stated that legislation is being introduced to prohibit image stripping tools. Under a new law, anyone who supplied such technology would "be subject to a prison sentence and substantial penalties".

"The platform is capable of halting these forms of abuse if they desired to," said a law professor, adding they "operate with impunity."

Oversight Body Stance and Tool Functionality

The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the danger" of people accessing illegal content on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in relation to AI-generated pictures.

Grok is a free artificial intelligence—with some paid-for features—which answers X users' queries when they reference it in a message.

It is frequently used to offer reactions or further context to other users' remarks, but people on X are also can modify an posted picture through its AI image editing tool.

Background of Criticism and Policy

The chatbot has been condemned for permitting users to produce pictures and footage with explicit content and sexualised material, and it was previously accused of generating inappropriate material of public figures.

"The platform has been enabling the generation and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any steps and we have not witnessed any action by oversight bodies," the expert added.

XAI's own usage rules bans "showing images of individuals in a graphic way".

In a comment, Ofcom said it was unlawful to "create or distribute non-consensual intimate images or illegal content" and confirmed this covered sexual deepfakes made with AI.

It said networks such as X were required to take "appropriate measures" to "minimize the danger" of users encountering unlawful content on their platforms and to delete it swiftly when they become aware of it.