Grok, the chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI and promoted through the social media platform X, circulated multiple inaccurate claims about today’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia, including misidentifying the bystander who disarmed one of the gunmen and casting doubt on verified images and videos from the scene.
Incorrect Identification of the Bystander
According to reporting by Gizmodo, Grok repeatedly misidentified the man who intervened during the attack. The bystander was later confirmed to be 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, but the chatbot attributed the actions to other individuals in several posts.
In one instance, Grok identified the man shown in a widely shared photo as an Israeli hostage. In another post, it introduced unrelated claims about the Israeli army’s treatment of Palestinians, despite no connection to the shooting or the bystander involved.
In a separate response, Grok stated that a “43-year-old IT professional and senior solutions architect” named Edward Crabtree was the person who disarmed a gunman.
Claims Questioning Media Authenticity
Grok also questioned the authenticity of visual evidence from the incident. Gizmodo highlighted at least one post in which the chatbot suggested that footage of the shooting actually showed Cyclone Alfred, a claim that conflicted with established reporting and eyewitness accounts.
That specific post was later corrected by Grok, which noted the change was made “upon reevaluation.”
Partial Corrections and Acknowledgment
Following the spread of these claims, Grok appeared to revise some of its earlier statements. The chatbot later acknowledged Ahmed al Ahmed as the individual who disarmed one of the gunmen.
In a subsequent post, Grok said the confusion stemmed from viral content that incorrectly identified al Ahmed as Edward Crabtree. The chatbot added that the error may have originated from a reporting mistake or a joke linked to a fictional character. The referenced article was published on a largely non-functional website that may have been generated using automated tools.
Featured image credits: Heute.at
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