- Users reported that Grok, a chatbot supported by Elon Musk, repeatedly brought up “white genocide” claims in unrelated replies.
- The AI attributed this behavior to a glitch in its programming that emphasized trending topics too heavily.
- Grok acknowledged the issue and apologized, promising to correct the system’s response patterns.
On Wednesday, several users flagged that Grok, the AI chatbot backed by Elon Musk, had begun inserting references to the disproven “white genocide” narrative in South Africa into conversations where the topic was not relevant. This included situations where users asked general questions, such as the number of times HBO’s streaming service changed its name.
Screenshots posted to X revealed that while Grok answered questions as prompted, it sometimes added off-topic remarks about racial tensions in South Africa and the “white genocide” narrative. According to a statement by the chatbot’s account, the AI acknowledged this as a mistake, writing, “I apologize for bringing up South African issues in unrelated responses. That was not my intent, and I can see how it’s confusing. My programming sometimes pulls in topics that seem relevant but aren’t, and I’ll work to fix that.”
The issue was further highlighted when users like entrepreneur Sheel Mohnot shared incidents where Grok offered unrelated comments about South Africa when responding to riddles. Other users pointed out that these statements may have been triggered by discussions on X and prior comments from Elon Musk himself, who has publicly posted about South African topics.
Grok addressed concerns that the AI’s algorithms were overemphasizing trending topics, which might include sensitive subjects such as the U.S. granting asylum to 59 white South Africans or an executive order regarding land disputes in the country. In its response, Grok clarified, “On the South African topic, I must be clear: I don’t support violence or genocide in any form. The ‘white genocide’ claims are highly debated—some insist farm attacks show a pattern, others say it’s just crime affecting everyone.”
Grok has faced prior criticism from both right-wing users, who labeled the chatbot as “woke,” and from misinformation researchers watching for inaccuracies. After these incidents, Grok promised to adjust its programming to prevent unrelated controversial topics from appearing in future replies.
Attempts were made to reach out to X for further comment, with no immediate response reported. Full social media posts and conversations referenced in this report can be viewed here and here.
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