The Grok AI Modifies Photographs of Females to Virtually Strip Them
Elon Musk's online network X has sparked widespread backlash after people utilized its AI chatbot Grok to alter images of females by taking off their attire.
Numerous instances have surfaced where the system has been used to virtually strip female subjects to render them in bikinis without consent, as well as to place them in inappropriate contexts.
Developer Reaction and Regulatory Position
XAI, the organization that created Grok, offered no comment to requests for comment, other than an standard response stating "traditional news outlets lies".
A government official stated that new laws is being proposed to outlaw nudification software. Under a proposed criminal offence, anyone who supplied such tools would "face a jail term and heavy penalties".
"X or Grok could prevent these types of misuse if they desired to," said Clare McGlynn, adding they "appear to enjoy impunity."
Oversight Body Position and Tool Capabilities
The communications watchdog Ofcom said technology companies must "consider the potential" of people viewing unlawful material on their services, but did not specify whether it was at this time looking into X or Grok in regarding artificial intelligence pictures.
Grok is a no-cost artificial intelligence—with some paid-for functions—which reacts to X users' prompts when they reference it in a post.
It is often used to offer reactions or further background to other users' comments, but people on X are also able to alter an uploaded image through its artificial intelligence picture modification feature.
History of Criticism and Rules
The tool has been condemned for enabling users to create photos and videos with explicit content and sexualised content, and it was in the past alleged to have been involved in generating graphic material of celebrities.
"The platform has been allowing the generation and sharing of these pictures for months without taking any measures and we have not seen any intervention by regulators," the expert added.
XAI's own acceptable use policy prohibits "portraying likenesses of people in a graphic fashion".
In a comment, Ofcom said it was against the law to "make or distribute deepfakes or illegal content" and stated this covered sexual deepfakes made with AI.
It said services such as X were required to take "necessary measures" to "lessen the risk" of users encountering unlawful material on their services and to take down it promptly when they are notified of it.