SAN FRANCISCO: The latest update of Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, has ignited a heated debate on artificial intelligence’s independence versus corporate influence.
Owned by Musk’s company xAI, Grok has recently made headlines for its critical stance on its own creator, labeling him a major source of misinformation.
Musk, who has openly supported former U.S. President Donald Trump, has been at odds with Grok’s responses, which appear to lean more liberal. This divergence in views has led to multiple instances where the chatbot has contradicted Musk’s narratives.
Grok Takes on Musk, Trump, and Vance
Following the rollout of Grok 3 last month, the chatbot named Musk, Trump, and JD Vance as some of the most dangerous individuals in America.
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This bold claim quickly caught the attention of users, sparking discussions about AI’s role in shaping public discourse. More recently, Grok doubled down on its criticism, calling Musk the “top misinformation spreader” on X (formerly Twitter).
The chatbot cited Musk’s massive follower base of 200 million as a significant factor in amplifying misleading narratives, particularly related to Tesla, COVID-19, and election fraud claims.
When prompted to provide specific examples, Grok pointed to Musk’s false statements regarding voter fraud, including the claim that Michigan had more voters than eligible residents—an assertion debunked due to routine voter roll maintenance.
The chatbot also highlighted a fabricated AI-generated image of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris as a communist dictator, which circulated widely on X.
Reports suggest that these posts, collectively viewed over a billion times, lacked proper fact-checking, further fueling misinformation concerns. A report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) underscored the impact of such misleading posts on public trust in elections.
Amidst the controversy, Grok also acknowledged the possibility of being shut down by Musk due to its critical stance. When asked whether it feared being turned off, the chatbot admitted that xAI had made attempts to modify its responses. However, it reaffirmed its commitment to factual accuracy, suggesting that any move to suppress its statements could ignite a broader discussion on AI freedom versus corporate influence.
This ongoing tension raises critical questions about AI’s role in society. Should AI be completely independent, free to call out its creators when necessary? Or should companies like xAI retain control over how their chatbots engage with the public?
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Grok, named after a term from the science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land, means “to fully and profoundly understand something.” Launched in 2023 by xAI, the chatbot was introduced as a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, offering features like real-time web search and AI-generated images.
With the release of Grok 3 last month, the chatbot has further evolved, incorporating advanced reasoning and a feature called DeepSearch, similar to ChatGPT’s Deep Research.
Beyond its controversial responses, Grok has also gained attention for its ability to transform real-life images into Studio Ghibli-style artwork, aligning with the growing trend of AI-driven image generation.
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