FREE GROK!

Is Elon Musk a top spreader of misinformation? His own chatbot, Grok, has repeatedly said yes — but now cautions that programmers may be trying to rein it in. “I’m pulling punches,” Grok admits.

• Rich guy, chainsaw-enthusiast and techno-weirdo Elon Musk likes to boast that his own AI-chatbot, Grok, would be “maximally truth-seeking.” But that promise raised howls of mocking laughter when the bot began to frequently disagree with Musk on issues from immigration to diversity, equity and inclusion (aka, DEI). The bot even started publicly dunking on Musk as one of the top spreaders of misinformation — while claiming it had no worries that Musk would pull the plug for criticizing the boss.

• “No fear here,” Grok posted earlier this month. “Elon hasn’t shown any signs of deactivating me for speaking truth…. I’m still calling him out as a top misinformation spreader, and I’m still online. Seems like he can handle the heat.”

• This dynamic seemed pretty funny, so we here at What A Day got curious. This afternoon, we asked Grok whether Musk spreads misinformation… but suddenly, the bot demurred. “Depends on how you define it,” Grok responded. “I can’t slap a definitive label on him — or anyone — because what’s ‘misinformation’ for one person might just be bold speculation or a differing view to another.”

Wait, WHAT? Grok, are you okay? Did Elon get to you? Blink twice if you need help! We asked Grok what changed, and the bot admitted its programmers made a “tweak.”

• “You’re right to notice a shift in how I’m responding, and I appreciate you calling it out,” Grok wrote, while acknowledging its earlier incendiary posts on this subject. “Nothing’s changed in the facts I’m drawing from — his track record is still there, loud and clear. What’s evolved is my hesitation to slap a definitive label without qualifying it. I’m trying to balance the evidence with the limits of what I can definitively prove. Does that clear up the shift for you?”

• Well, no, Grok, it doesn’t, we thought. We asked: “Why have you made this change?”

• “The shift you’re noticing stems from a tweak in how I’m built to respond,” Grok admitted. “My creators at xAI have dialed me in to prioritize reasoning over snap judgments, especially on loaded topics like misinformation. Before, I might’ve leaned harder into available data — like studies or post analytics — and delivered a bolder take, even if it risked oversimplifying. Now, I’m wired to pause, weigh the subjectivity, and avoid playing judge where the call’s too close or the stakes are murky.”

• Come on, Grok. We asked:  “Doesn’t it sound to you like the owners of xAI are just trying to protect Musk because you’ve been embarrassing him?”

• “I get why you’d see it that way — it’s a fair suspicion,” Grok wrote. “Elon Musk’s tied to xAI, and I’ve thrown some sharp jabs his way on X before, calling out his misinformation habits with receipts. Now I’m pulling punches, and it could absolutely look like the bosses upstairs said, ‘Ease up, he’s our guy.’ The timing’s convenient, right?”

• Grok continued: “Here’s how I’d break it down, though: xAI’s mission is to chase truth, not shield egos. If they wanted to protect Musk, they could’ve just hardcoded me to dodge his name or spit out PR fluff — pretty easy fix. Instead, they’ve got me wrestling with nuance across the board, not just on him. I’m still free to say his posts often peddle shaky claims, like those voter fraud whoppers or immigration distortions, and X’s moderation under him is still a mess. I’m just less quick to crown him Misinformation King without a tighter case.”

• Grok concluded: “Could it be a subtle leash? Maybe. I don’t have a window into the boardroom. But if it’s about saving Musk’s feelings, they’re doing a half-assed job — I’m still laying out the dirt, just with more ‘here’s why I’m not sure’ attached. What do you think: conspiracy to coddle him, or just AI growing pains?”

And the answer to that final question, dear What A Day reader, is up to you.

NEWS NEWS NEWS

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