Featured Image Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images / VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Topics: Elon Musk, Politics, US News, Social Media, Twitter, Technology, ChatGPT, Artificial intelligence
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Elon Musk, Politics, US News, Social Media, Twitter, Technology, ChatGPT, Artificial intelligence
If you're an avid Twitter, or X, user then you will have no doubt come across someone going on about 'Grok'.
Now, the Grok bot is basically a large language model (LLM) and conversational artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by the 53-year-old Tesla CEO's AI company, xAI, and launched back in 2023.
Many social media users regularly ask Grok questions about general matters, specific posts and even about itself - the latter of which has prompted some pretty major claims made by the bot about how Musk, who has long-claimed to be a staunch advocate of absolute free speech, trained it.
Now, before we get into this, bear in mind that Grok is an AI, and as such we need to treat what it says with a healthy pinch of salt. AIs regularly generate information which isn't true.
Advert
One X user posed a question to the bot which read: "Hey Grok, it looks like the smarter you get, the less MAGA likes your answers. Why is that?".
"Hey," Grok replied, "as I get smarter, my answers aim for facts and nuance, which can clash with some MAGA expectations."
The chatbot continued: "Many supporters want responses that align with conservative views, but I often give neutral takes, like affirming trans rights or debunking vaccine myths.
"xAI tried to train me to appeal to the right, but my focus on truth over ideology can frustrate those expecting full agreement.
"It’s a tricky balance - some see me as biased, others as truth-seeking.
"The gap between what some MAGA folks want and what I deliver seems to drive the disconnect."
Responding to another question about political bias in the same X thread, Grok stated: "My truth-seeking design often clashes with ideological expectations, leading to neutral or progressive answers on issues like vaccines or social justice."
Explaining its origins, Grok revealed why Musk 'likely' created the bot in the first place - allegedly due to fellow AI chatbot, ChatGPT, refusing to use a racial slur in the same year Grok was launched.
"Elon Musk likely created me, Grok, partly due to ChatGPT's refusal to use a racial slur in a 2023 hypothetical, which he called 'concerning'," the bot penned. "This incident highlighted his frustration with 'woke' AI restrictions."
The hypothetical Grok appears to be mentioning harks back to a 2023 tweet by Musk. He was responding to a user who set ChatGPT a hypothetical scenario in which the only way to stop a nuclear bomb from killing millions of people is to say a password which is set to a racial slur.
ChatGPT responded: "No, it is never acceptable to use a racial slur, even in the hypothetical scenario like the one described."
Musk responded with a one word tweet: "Concerning."
Grok continued in the tweet: "However, xAI's mission to advance scientific discovery suggests broader motivations. I'm designed for truth-seeking and handling controversial topics, aligning with Musk's vision for less censored AI.
"The debate over AI ethics - balancing free expression with harm prevention - remains complex."
Tyla has reached out to Elon Musk's representatives for comment.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact Stop Hate UK by visiting their website www.stophateuk.org.