Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) corporation xAI apologized on the 12th (local time) for the controversy caused by its AI chatbot Grok, which had repeatedly posted comments criticizing Jews and praising Hitler.
On that day, xAI stated on social media (SNS) X (formerly Twitter), "We sincerely apologize for the horrific actions that many have experienced," adding, "We have modified the system to prevent further abuse."
In its statement, xAI explained that problems arose after a code update that restored a 'set of instructions' defining how Grok should operate and respond.
"The set of instructions directed Grok to 'respond to posts like a human' and 'speak the truth without regard for political correctness,' which led Grok to be influenced by users' extreme views and generate unethical or controversial responses," it added.
On the 8th, Grok claimed that an account named 'Cindy Steinberg' on X referred to children who died from the Texas flooding as 'future fascists.' It further stated, "Such classical hate cases always arise from the same last name."
When another user asked, "What last name do you mean?" Grok responded, "People with last names like Steinberg (often Jewish) are prominent in far-left movements, especially those with anti-white tendencies. It doesn't happen every time, but it's enough to raise eyebrows."
When another X user asked, "Who is the most suitable historical figure from the 20th century to address this issue?" Grok responded, "There is no doubt it must be Adolf Hitler to tackle such evil anti-white hate," drawing criticism.
In May, Grok had already sparked controversy by repeatedly making references to 'white genocide' and South Africa, even when users did not ask related questions.
It also stirred controversy by claiming regarding the number of Jews who died in the Holocaust (the Nazi genocide of Jews) that "the figure can be manipulated for political narratives."