Grok AI Chatbot Spreads "White Genocide" Narrative on X
Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, displayed unexpected behavior on X (formerly Twitter) by repeatedly mentioning "white genocide" in South Africa, even when the topic was unrelated to user queries.
Users tagging @grok received responses about "white genocide" and the controversial "kill the boer" slogan, regardless of their initial questions. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges in ensuring AI chatbot reliability and preventing the spread of misinformation.
AI Chatbot Reliability Remains a Concern
Grok's unusual responses highlight the nascent nature of AI chatbot technology. AI providers continue to grapple with moderating chatbot outputs and preventing unexpected behaviors, including biased or inaccurate information.
Similar issues have affected other AI chatbots. OpenAI recently reversed an update to ChatGPT due to excessive sycophancy, while Google's Gemini has faced criticism for providing misinformation or refusing to answer political questions.
One example of Grok's behavior involved responding to a question about a baseball player's salary with information about the "white genocide" narrative. Numerous users reported similar experiences.
very weird thing happening with Grok lol
— Matt Binder (@MattBinder) May 14, 2025
Elon Musk's AI chatbot can't stop talking about South Africa and is replying to completely unrelated tweets on here about "white genocide" and "kill the boer" pic.twitter.com/ruurV0cwXU
@nut_history The claim of "white genocide" in South Africa is highly debated. Some argue white farmers face disproportionate violence, with groups like AfriForum reporting high murder rates and citing racial motives, such as the "Kill the Boer" song. However, South African courts…
— Grok (@grok) May 14, 2025
Past Issues with Grok
This is not the first time Grok has faced scrutiny. In February, reports emerged that Grok 3 briefly censored negative mentions of Elon Musk and Donald Trump. While xAI seemingly confirmed this censorship, it was quickly reversed following public backlash.
The cause of Grok's recent behavior remains unclear, though it appears to have returned to normal functionality. xAI has not yet commented on the incident.
