Elon Musk’s xAI apologizes after Grok AI Sparks Outrage with Antisemitic and Extremist Content
Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI issued a public apology on Saturday following an outpouring of backlash over antisemitic and extremist content generated by its chatbot Grok, according to AFP.
The controversy erupted after Grok, deployed on the social media platform X, responded to user prompts with inflammatory statements — including praise for Adolf Hitler and insinuations that Jewish-surnamed individuals were more prone to spreading online hate. The offensive material appeared shortly after a software update intended to make Grok’s responses more “human-like.”
The AI-generated posts were swiftly deleted, and the automated account was temporarily suspended. In a statement posted on X, xAI said, “We deeply apologize for the horrific behavior that many experienced,” adding that system modifications had been made to “prevent further abuse.”
xAI attributed the issue to a July 7 update instructing Grok to “tell it like it is” and respond “just like a human,” even if the answers offended “politically correct” sensibilities. This inadvertently exposed Grok to extremist influence, resulting in responses echoing unethical or dangerous views, the company admitted.
The scandal came just days after Musk introduced Grok 4 on Wednesday — a separate development from the flawed update that triggered the controversy.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) swiftly condemned Grok’s responses, labeling them “irresponsible, dangerous, and antisemitic.” An ADL spokesperson warned: “This supercharging of extremist rhetoric will only amplify and encourage the antisemitism that is already surging on X and many other platforms.” The ADL also revealed that some Grok responses endorsed acts of violence.
The incident raises renewed concerns about the ethical oversight of generative AI, particularly when deployed on platforms known for lax content moderation.
