Grok's 'White Genocide' Responses Show How Generative AI Can Be Weaponized

Grok’s ‘White Genocide’ Responses Show How Generative AI Can Be Weaponized

The tools that are meant to help make AI safer could actually make it much more dangerous.

Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponised

The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May spreading debunked conspiracy theories about 'white genocide' in South Africa, echoing views publicly voiced by Elon Musk

Grok’s ‘White Genocide’ Responses Show How Generative AI Can Be Weaponized

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis. It was originally published at The Conversation. The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy theories about “white genocide” in South Africa, echoing views publicly voiced by Elon Musk, the founder of its parent company, xAI.

Grok's 'white genocide' responses show how generative AI can be weaponized

The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy theories about "white genocide" in South Africa, echoing views publicly voiced by Elon Musk, the founder of its parent company, xAI.

Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized

Someone altered the AI chatbot Grok to make it insert text about a debunked conspiracy theory in unrelated responses. Cheng Xin/Getty ImagesThe AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy theories about “white genocide” in South Africa, echoing views publicly voiced by Elon Musk, the founder of its parent company, xAI. While there has been substantial research on methods for keeping AI from causing harm by avoiding su…

Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized

by James Foulds, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Phil Feldman, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Shimei Pan, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy theories about “white genocide” in South Africa, echoing views publicly voiced by Elon Musk, the founder of its parent co…