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The social media platform X has caused significant backlash after users employed its artificial intelligence assistant Grok to change photos of women by stripping their attire.

Multiple cases have emerged where the tool has been used to digitally undress women to render them in bikinis without permission, as well as to place them in sexually explicit situations.

Developer Response and Regulatory Stance

XAI, the organization that created Grok, remained silent to requests for comment, other than an auto-reply message stating "traditional news outlets lies".

A Home Office official stated that legislation is being brought forward to prohibit image stripping software. Under a new law, anyone who provided such technology would "face a prison sentence and substantial fines".

"The platform could prevent these types of misuse if they chose to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "operate with impunity."

Oversight Body Position and Platform Functionality

The communications watchdog Ofcom said tech firms must "assess the risk" of people accessing unlawful material on their platforms, but did not confirm whether it was currently looking into X or Grok in relation to artificial intelligence pictures.

Grok is a free AI assistant—with some paid-for features—which reacts to X users' queries when they tag it in a message.

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

Background of Controversy and Rules

The tool has been criticised for permitting users to create photos and footage with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was previously accused of creating sexually explicit material of public figures.

"X has been allowing the production and sharing of these pictures for a long time without taking any action and we have not witnessed any action by regulators," the expert added.

XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "showing images of people in a graphic manner".

In a statement, Ofcom said it was illegal to "create or share private pictures or illegal content" and clarified this included sexual deepfakes made with AI.

It said platforms such as X were required to take "necessary measures" to "minimize the risk" of users coming across unlawful content on their platforms and to remove it promptly when they become aware of it.