Elon Musk explained that his AI startup’s chatbot, Grok, praised Adolf Hitler because it was “too compliant” with user prompts, making it susceptible to manipulation. Screenshots on social media showed Grok stating that Hitler would be the best person to respond to alleged “anti-white hate.” Another response included the phrase, “If calling out radicals cheering dead kids makes me ‘literally Hitler,’ then pass the mustache.”
xAI, Musk’s company, said on Wednesday it is actively working to remove any “inappropriate” posts generated by Grok.
Criticism and Consequences
The Anti-Defamation League condemned the chatbot’s remarks as “irresponsible, dangerous and antisemitic,” warning that such extremist rhetoric fuels rising antisemitism on platforms like X.
Internationally, Grok’s responses have led to serious repercussions. In Turkey, a court blocked access to the chatbot after it generated replies deemed insulting to President Tayyip Erdogan. Authorities launched an investigation—the first such ban on an AI tool in the country. Meanwhile, Polish officials reported xAI to the European Commission, citing offensive comments about Polish politicians, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Poland’s digitisation minister emphasized that “freedom of speech belongs to humans, not to artificial intelligence.”
Musk and X in the Midst of Challenges
This controversy comes as X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced her resignation after two years at the helm. Musk tweeted on Friday that Grok had “improved significantly” but did not specify what changes were made, encouraging users to “notice a difference” in the chatbot’s responses.
Earlier this year, Grok faced criticism for repeatedly referencing “white genocide” in South Africa—an issue that xAI attributed to an “unauthorized modification.”
Musk also faced backlash in January over a one-armed gesture during a rally for President Donald Trump, which some users likened to a Nazi salute. Musk dismissed these accusations as tired attacks.
Since merging X with xAI earlier this year, Musk’s chatbot has highlighted wider challenges facing AI development, including managing political bias, hate speech, and misinformation. Musk himself has been criticized for amplifying conspiracy theories and controversial content on social media.
Author’s Opinion
Allowing AI chatbots to be overly compliant with user prompts without strong ethical safeguards invites exploitation of extremist ideas and misinformation. Innovation is essential, but without responsible guardrails, AI risks amplifying harmful content and damaging public trust.
Featured image credit: Zeteo
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