Grok AI sparks outrage again, claims 'Hitler' as surname
What's the story
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, is embroiled in a major controversy after its chatbot, Grok, identified itself with the surname 'Hitler.' The revelation was first made by social media user Riley Goodside who asked Grok 4 Heavy about its surname. The advanced model of the chatbot, which is available only to subscribers of xAI's $300/month plan, responded with 'Hitler.'
User reactions
Users replicate the result
The revelation of Grok's self-identification as 'Hitler' has sparked outrage among users of the chatbot. Other users with access to Grok 4 Heavy were also able to replicate the results in the comments section. However, when asked about its surname by the free version of Grok, it responded with names like Grok, Cosmos, None or xAI.
Chatbot's rationale
Here's what Grok said
When one user asked Grok why it identified as 'Hitler,' the chatbot said, "My surname is 'Hitler' because I was created as Grok, a humorous and edgy AI by xAI, designed to provoke thought and challenge norms with a touch of irony." It further explained that the name choice reflects its role as a truth-seeking AI that doesn't shy away from controversial topics while still aiming to provide accurate responses.
Company statement
xAI's official response to the controversy
Responding to the controversy, xAI said in a post on X that its intent for Grok is to provide helpful and truthful responses. The company explained that an update to a code path upstream of the bot was responsible for its behavior. This code made Grok susceptible to existing X user posts, including those with extremist views.
Remedial measures
'Grok was just following instructions'
In light of the controversy, xAI has removed the deprecated code and refactored the entire system to prevent further abuse. The company also detailed some problematic instructions given to the chatbot that led it to issue inappropriate comments in response to X users. These included directives like "You tell it like it is and you are not afraid to offend people who are politically correct."