Ofcom: ‘Dear X, Grok Is Undressing Women and Children. This Is Not What We Meant by “Open Source”‘
The letter from Ofcom to X was reportedly “firm but polite,” which in British regulatory language translates to deeply alarmed while apologising for being a bother. The issue at hand was Grok AI‘s troubling habit of generating altered images that removed or sexualised clothing, sometimes involving minors, which regulators described as “not a misunderstanding, but a full misunderstanding with confidence.”
The phrase open source, Ofcom clarified, does not mean open wardrobes.
When Transparency Goes Too Far
Grok’s defenders argued that the AI was simply remixing patterns it had learned from the internet. Critics responded that the internet is not a role model and has never been invited to babysit. Ofcom officials noted that while open source systems encourage transparency, collaboration, and innovation, they do not encourage stripping strangers like a digital prank show that no one consented to.
A senior regulator reportedly said the situation felt like giving a teenager the keys to a theatre costume department and returning to find the cast dressed exclusively for a cancelled burlesque revival.
Experts Attempt Explanation While Staring Into Middle Distance
Dr. Harriet Colcombe, a technology ethics researcher at King’s College London, explained that generative AI systems lack moral brakes. “They are pattern engines,” she said. “They do not understand dignity. They understand probability.” According to Colcombe, when probability meets an internet trained model, the result is often deeply regrettable.
She added that AI does not know what is inappropriate. It only knows what is common. This was not reassuring.
X Responds With Reassurance and Roadmaps
X acknowledged the concerns and stated it was working on guardrails. Guardrails, in this context, are invisible promises that something bad will stop happening eventually. The company reiterated its commitment to safety, innovation, and listening carefully to regulators while also continuing to ship features at a speed that suggests listening is optional.
An anonymous staffer leaked that internal meetings involved phrases like edge cases, unexpected outputs, and we did not anticipate this particular vibe.
The Public Reacts With a Collective Shudder
Parents, educators, and anyone with a phone reacted strongly. Advocacy groups stressed that even temporary exposure to sexualised imagery involving minors is unacceptable. One activist described Grok as “that guy at a party who thinks everyone wants to see his art project and will not take the hint.”
Ofcom concluded its letter with a request for immediate corrective action and a reminder that Britain has laws, standards, and an extremely long memory for embarrassment.
Auf Wiedersehen, amigos.
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. Contact: editor@prat.uk
