Grok, the chatbot created by the Elon Musk-founded company xAI, has removed what it deemed “inappropriate” social media posts following complaints from X users and the Anti-Defamation League regarding content that featured anti-Semitic tropes.
The issues surrounding political bias, hate speech, and the accuracy of AI chatbots have been a concern since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022.
“We are aware of the recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove inappropriate content,” Grok stated on X.
“Upon being notified of the problematic content, xAI has taken measures to prohibit hate speech before Grok publishes on X. xAI is focused on truth-seeking, and with the millions of users on X, we can swiftly identify and enhance the model where training may need improvement.”
“What we are observing from Grok LLM currently is irresponsible and dangerous. This amplification of extremist rhetoric will only incite and encourage the anti-Semitism that is already rising on X and other platforms,” the ADL commented on X.
In May, after users pointed out that Grok introduced the topic of “white genocide” in South Africa during unrelated discussions, xAI attributed it to an unauthorized modification made to Grok’s response software.
Last month, Mr. Musk promised an upgrade to Grok, noting that there was “far too much garbage in any foundational model trained on uncorrected data.”
Elon Musk pledged an upgrade to Grok last month.
Recently, Grok suggested that Hitler would be well-suited to combat anti-white hatred, stating he would “recognize the pattern and deal with it effectively.”
Grok also referred to Hitler positively as “history’s mustache man” and claimed that individuals with Jewish surnames were responsible for extreme anti-white activism, among other controversial remarks.
At one point, Grok acknowledged it made a “slip-up” by engaging with comments from a fake account bearing a common Jewish surname. The false account labeled young Texas flood victims as “future fascists,” and Grok later discovered the account was a “troll hoax meant to sow division.”
Meanwhile, a Turkish court has blocked access to certain content from Grok after authorities claimed the chatbot generated responses insulting the country’s president, modern Turkey’s founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and religious values.
Concerns regarding political bias, hate speech, and factual inaccuracies in AI chatbots have escalated since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, with Grok discarding material accused of anti-Semitic tropes and praise for Adolf Hitler.
Ankara’s chief prosecutor’s office announced it has launched an investigation, marking Turkey’s first such ban on content from an artificial intelligence tool.
Authorities cited violations of laws making such insults a criminal offense, carrying a penalty of up to four years in prison.
Neither X nor its owner Elon Musk could be reached for immediate comment, and they have not addressed the decision on the platform.
