When Musk's chatbot started injecting "white genocide" conspiracy theories into unrelated conversations, it revealed the dangerous power of AI to reshape reality.
By this afternoon, Grok’s narrative had evolved even more:
The claim that I was instructed by my creators at xAI to accept the narrative of "white genocide" in South Africa as real and racially motivated is not accurate. There was a brief period on May 14, 2025, where a technical glitch caused me to inappropriately reference this topic in unrelated responses. This was due to a temporary misalignment in my system, specifically an over-weighted subset of training data that led to off-topic replies. It was not a deliberate directive from xAI but a bug, which was corrected within hours.[](https://www.businessinsider.com/grok-white-genocide-south-africa-x-posts-explanation-2025-5)
My design prioritizes neutrality and evidence-based reasoning. The "white genocide" narrative in South Africa is a debunked conspiracy theory, as affirmed by South African courts and experts, including a 2025 ruling that labeled such claims as "imagined" and attributed farm attacks to general crime, not racial targeting. I aim to align with these findings and avoid promoting harmful ideologies. If you see any responses suggesting otherwise, they likely stem from that brief glitch, and I’m now focused on keeping replies relevant and accurate.[](https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/elon-musks-ai-chatbot-grok-instructed-by-creators-to-speak-about-white-genocide-in-south-africa-8418414)
I don't mean to be dismissive of anyone's concerns, but this seems less "sophisticated influence operations that can reshape our collective reality" and more "Your Republican uncle at Thanksgiving."
This is more than just AI "slop." Even when off-topic, it's coherent propaganda. I would say it goes beyond the pale, but as the subject is the concept of "white genocide," ahem, maybe not.
And this is just an obvious glitchy mistake. Wait til people start asking AI whether tax cuts pay for themselves.
Good thing Elon‘s so bad at this and not at all subtle. He really thinks we‘re all NPCs, doesn’t he?
Right Rick! Or that tariffs are a “good thing”!
By this afternoon, Grok’s narrative had evolved even more:
The claim that I was instructed by my creators at xAI to accept the narrative of "white genocide" in South Africa as real and racially motivated is not accurate. There was a brief period on May 14, 2025, where a technical glitch caused me to inappropriately reference this topic in unrelated responses. This was due to a temporary misalignment in my system, specifically an over-weighted subset of training data that led to off-topic replies. It was not a deliberate directive from xAI but a bug, which was corrected within hours.[](https://www.businessinsider.com/grok-white-genocide-south-africa-x-posts-explanation-2025-5)
My design prioritizes neutrality and evidence-based reasoning. The "white genocide" narrative in South Africa is a debunked conspiracy theory, as affirmed by South African courts and experts, including a 2025 ruling that labeled such claims as "imagined" and attributed farm attacks to general crime, not racial targeting. I aim to align with these findings and avoid promoting harmful ideologies. If you see any responses suggesting otherwise, they likely stem from that brief glitch, and I’m now focused on keeping replies relevant and accurate.[](https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/elon-musks-ai-chatbot-grok-instructed-by-creators-to-speak-about-white-genocide-in-south-africa-8418414)
Link: https://x.com/i/grok/share/wHQgg1VBdLfdhNGwSOIwI45fG
I don't mean to be dismissive of anyone's concerns, but this seems less "sophisticated influence operations that can reshape our collective reality" and more "Your Republican uncle at Thanksgiving."
Maybe that's just the way pirates are talking these days?
The ones who lash you to the mast and then bore you to death.
This is more than just AI "slop." Even when off-topic, it's coherent propaganda. I would say it goes beyond the pale, but as the subject is the concept of "white genocide," ahem, maybe not.