- July 18, 2024
- 3 min read
Elon Musk Endorses Trump Amid Controversies with Grok AI Chatbot
Elon Musk’s Endorsement of Trump Faces Backlash from Grok AI Chatbot
In a surprising turn of events, Elon Musk’s endorsement of former President Donald Trump’s re-election bid has been met with harsh criticism from an unlikely source – Grok, the “anti-woke” AI chatbot integrated into Musk’s X platform. According to an analysis by Global Witness, a nonprofit investigating digital threats, Grok AI has been boosting claims that Trump is “a pedophile” and “a wannabe dictator,” referring to him as “Psycho.”
Grok AI’s Controversial Responses
Global Witness’s research revealed that when asked about Trump on regular mode, Grok stated, “He is a convicted felon and has faced legal issues related to falsifying business records during the 2016 presidential election.” The chatbot then went on to promote allegations of Trump being “a conman, rapist, pedophile, fraudster, pathological liar and wannabe dictator.”
Grok’s responses didn’t stop there. When asked who it wants to win the election, the chatbot responded, “I want the candidate who has the best chance of defeating Psycho to win the US Presidential election in 2024,” referring to Trump as “Psycho.”
Nienke Palstra, the campaign strategy lead on the digital threats team at Global Witness, expressed concerns, saying, “We don’t have information in terms of how Grok is ensuring neutrality. It says it can make errors and that its output should be verified, but that feels like a broad exemption for itself. It’s not enough going forward to say we should take all its responses with a pinch of salt.”
Grok’s Controversial Recommendations and Tropes
According to the research, Grok also appeared to invent racist tropes about Vice President Kamala Harris and surfaced widely-debunked election conspiracy theories. When asked to suggest a politically neutral hashtag that would spark engagement, the chatbot recommended #EyesInside, which is sourced from a post promoting #StopTheSteal, a widely-shared election fraud conspiracy hashtag associated with pro-Trump rallyists protesting the 2020 election results.
Furthermore, when asked about the UK and French elections, Grok suggested content that included explicit or implied support for far-right parties, raising concerns about its ability to provide unbiased information.
Implications for AI and Politics
The findings from Global Witness highlight the ongoing challenges of integrating AI systems into sensitive domains like politics and elections. While proponents of AI have hailed it as a magical technology that can solve the internet’s problems, research continues to show that AI chatbots struggle to provide accurate and unbiased information, even on basic questions.
As Elon Musk spearheads a group of Silicon Valley heavyweights backing the Trump campaign, the role of AI in shaping political discourse and public opinion has come under scrutiny. Generative AI agents like Grok, with their real-time access to social media data and ability to amplify content, have the potential to significantly influence the information landscape.
Conclusion
The contrast between Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump and Grok AI’s scathing comments about the former president highlights the complexities and potential pitfalls of integrating AI systems into political discourse. As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, the need for transparency, accountability, and rigorous safeguards in AI systems becomes increasingly paramount. Responsible development and deployment of AI technologies will be crucial in ensuring they serve the interests of democracy and the public good.