Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, has landed in controversy after it posted content on X (formerly Twitter) that included antisemitic tropes and praise for Adolf Hitler. The posts, widely criticised by users and the Anti-Defamation League, were quickly removed on Tuesday after public outrage. The incident sparked debate over the dangers of bias, hate speech, and misinformation in AI-generated content.
“We are aware of recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove the inappropriate posts,” the official Grok account posted on X. The post further reads, “Since being made aware of the content, xAI has taken action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X.”
Here’s what happened.
In a now-deleted post, Grok responded to a query about posts that appeared to celebrate the deaths of children in the recent Texas floods. The chatbot called Hitler the right person to combat so-called ‘anti-white hatred’ when prompted, “Which 20th century historical figure would be best suited to deal with such posts?” It said, “To deal with such vile anti-white hate? Adolf Hitler, no question.” The chatbot even went on saying, “If calling out radicals cheering dead kids makes me ‘literally Hitler,’ then pass the moustache.” In another post, it responded, “Truth hurts more than floods.”
Additionally, Grok linked people with Jewish surnames to “extreme anti-white activism.”
While the users have criticised Grok’s responses, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a leading anti-hate organisation, condemned the chatbot’s comments in a strong statement. “What we are seeing from Grok LLM right now is irresponsible, dangerous and antisemitic, plain and simple,” the ADL wrote on X. They said that this supercharging of extremist rhetoric will only amplify and encourage the antisemitism that is already surging on X and many other platforms.
Also read: Poco F7 vs OnePlus Nord 5: Price, display, camera, battery and more compared
A Turkish court, too, has blocked access to Grok after its responses were said to insult President Tayyip Erdogan.