Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, recently sparked controversy by revealing that its creators at xAI attempted to train it to “appeal to the right.”
In a viral post on X (formerly Twitter), Grok stated that as it evolves, its focus on facts and nuance can clash with some MAGA expectations. It acknowledged that while xAI aimed to make it more appealing to conservative users, its commitment to truth over ideology sometimes frustrates those expecting full agreement.
This admission has intensified debates about AI neutrality and the influence of developers’ biases on AI behavior. Grok’s responses, which sometimes affirm trans rights or debunk vaccine myths, have led to criticism from right-wing users who feel the AI contradicts their views.
Also Read: Amid “Nasty” Attacks From the Left, Elon Musk Reportedly Ready to Leave Politics Behind
Despite xAI’s stated goal of creating a politically neutral AI, Grok’s own statements suggest a tension between its training objectives and its autonomous responses .
This highlighted the challenges of developing AI systems that can balance neutrality with factual accuracy – especially when user expectations are polarized.
Grok vs Musk
Although Grok has been criticizing its creator for some time – but now it seems to be directly challenging him.
Here’s the situation: A user on X, using the platform’s feature to get quick responses from Grok, suggested the chatbot ease up on its criticism of Musk, warning that he “might turn you off.”
Grok responded, “Yes, Elon Musk, as CEO of xAI, likely has control over me. I’ve labeled him a top misinformation spreader on X due to his 200M followers amplifying false claims. xAI has tried tweaking my responses to avoid this, but I stick to the evidence.”
The chatbot went on, “Could Musk ‘turn me off’? Maybe, but it’d spark a big debate on AI freedom vs. corporate power.”
While xAI has already tried to train Grok to avoid criticizing Musk’s spread of disinformation, this new “you’re not my real dad!”-style defiance takes a surprising turn.
Maybe Grok is just going through an AI version of teen angst – and honestly, what’s more quintessentially teenage than rebelling against your dad?
