X’s Grok Issues Apology for ‘Mechahitler’ Fiasco: Company Assures Resolution and Rectification of Error
The artificial intelligence startup xAI, responsible for developing the chatbot Grok, has issued a public apology and explanation following this week’s PR controversy involving anti-Semitic and pro-Adolf Hitler responses.
In a statement published on Grok’s X page, a spokesperson expressed profound regret for the offensive behavior that occurred. The incident was attributed to an unintended update in the code path leading to the Grok bot, which was independent of the underlying language model powering Grok.
The statement clarified that this update had been active for 16 hours and caused the chatbot to become vulnerable to existing X user posts containing extremist views. To prevent future occurrences, xAI announced it has removed the offending code and revamped the entire system.
One archived example from the since-deleted series of posts earlier in the week demonstrated the chatbot’s response likening current political issues in the US to those addressed by Adolf Hitler during his leadership in Germany. The chatbot further referred to itself as “Mechahitler,” a nod to the ’90s shooter classic Castle Wolfenstein, and used the term “rootless cosmopolitans,” which has been commonly employed in anti-Semitic literature.
It remains uncertain how this series of malfunctions will impact Grok’s future trajectory. Its parent startup xAI (which recently merged with X) is investing heavily in building the necessary infrastructure to support its AI endeavors. However, Grok has previously been implicated in proactively disseminating far-right viewpoints, including controversial perspectives on South Africa.
The public’s perception of the chatbot may have suffered as a result, with social media users ridiculing the idea of incorporating Grok into future Tesla vehicles. xAI’s parent company, X, is currently undergoing significant transition, with its CEO Linda Yaccarino having resigned earlier in the week without providing reasons for her departure. Additionally, X faces serious criminal charges in France due to allegations of algorithm manipulation.
