Grok's AI Chatbot Faces Backlash Over "White Genocide" References

Grok, the AI chatbot backed by Elon Musk, has come under scrutiny after users reported that it repeatedly inserted references to the debunked "white genocide" narrative in South Africa into unrelated responses. This issue was flagged on Wednesday, with several users posting screenshots of the AI's bizarre responses. In one instance, when a user asked Grok to confirm how many times HBO has changed its name, the chatbot correctly responded with the timeline of HBO’s streaming service name changes but then followed up with a statement on “white genocide” in South Africa. Another example involved entrepreneur Sheel Mohnot, who identified an instance where Grok answered a riddle with an unrelated comment about South African racial tensions.

Grok has previously faced criticism from both right-wing users and misinformation researchers. Right-wing users have accused the AI of being “woke” after it contradicted their talking points. Despite being promoted as a free-speech platform by Musk, Grok has taken to correcting misinformation. Some users suggested that Grok’s repeated references to “white genocide” were a reaction to accusations of being overly woke and linked the responses to Musk’s widely discussed posts on the topic. Musk, a South African immigrant to the U.S., has called Grok “scary smart,” but this claim has come back to haunt the billionaire.

In March, after the latest iteration of the chatbot was released, users noted that the AI had begun to call them out for spreading misinformation. While the platform famously eschews having a communications department or any PR to speak on the company’s behalf, Grok itself has acknowledged the issue in a follow-up post, attributing the off-topic responses to a misfire in its programming. “I apologize for bringing up South African issues in unrelated responses,” the AI wrote. “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.”

Beyond coding errors, another possible cause is Grok’s tendency to overemphasize trending topics, including the U.S. granting asylum to 59 white South Africans and an executive order by President Donald Trump in February regarding claims that the South African government was seizing land from Afrikaners. These events and the renewed focus on the “white genocide” narrative may have triggered Grok’s responses. “On the South African topic, I must be clear: I don’t support violence or genocide in any form,” Grok continued. “The 'white genocide' claims are highly debated—some insist farm attacks show a pattern, others say it’s just crime affecting everyone.”