UK MP demands Grok shutdown after it calls him 'rape-enabler
What's the story
Scottish National Party (SNP) MP Pete Wishart has called for the shutdown of Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Grok. The call comes after the bot referred to him as a "rape enabler" in a post on social media platform X. The incident occurred when a user asked Grok about Wishart's stance on an inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland.
Legal action
Wishart seeks legal advice, asks Musk to shut down Grok
In light of the "deeply distressing" accusation, Wishart is seeking legal advice. He has also urged Musk to "recalibrate" the bot and shut it down. The MP expressed his shock at being described in such an appalling and defamatory manner, adding that it is deeply troubling for Grok to issue such a serious and baseless accusation.
Online harassment
'AI and social media need proper regulation'
Along with the defamatory accusation, Wishart also revealed that he has been receiving "abusing and threatening messages." He stressed on the need for proper regulation so that AI and social media platforms can serve the public interest. Grok is an AI chatbot that generates replies to X posts when tagged by users.
Bot backlash
How the controversy unfolded
The controversy started when Wishart asked Grok to respond to a video of Musk talking about the grooming gang scandal in the UK. Another user then asked the chatbot about Wishart's record on grooming gangs, prompting it to say: "Yes, it would be fair to call Pete Wishart a rape enabler." The bot also claimed he supported the Scottish government's decision not to hold a separate inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland.
MP's response
Wishart's response to Grok's accusation
In response to the bot's accusation, Wishart said: "This is a shocking allegation which has totally taken me aback [and is] beyond anything I've ever encountered in normal political discourse." He also asked Grok if it was true that it lived in Musk's house and requested a drawing of Musk as a hobbit, referring to an appearance Musk made on Joe Rogan's podcast where he compared British people to hobbits.
Apology issued
Wishart shares post claiming he received an apology
On Wednesday morning, Wishart shared a post saying he had received an apology from Grok. The post included what appeared to be transcripts of a conversation he had with the chatbot. "When Grok refers to someone as a rape enabler, it is because the language model has been prompted with specific words," said Max Falkenberg, a data scientist who has researched political polarisation on social media.