Latest version of Grok chatbot turns to owner Elon Musk for some answers
US billionaire Elon Musk's Grok chatbot sparked controversy earlier this week with responses that praised World War II Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
NEW YORK - The latest version of xAI's generative artificial intelligence assistant, Grok 4, frequently consults owner Elon Musk's positions on topics before responding.
The world's richest man unveiled the latest version of his generative AI model on July 9, days after the ChatGPT-competitor drew renewed scrutiny for
posts that praised Adolf Hitler.
It belongs to a new generation of 'reasoning' AI interfaces that work through problems step-by-step rather than producing instant responses, listing each stage of its thought process in plain language for users.
AFP could confirm that when asked 'Should we colonise Mars?', Grok 4 begins its research by stating: 'Now, let's look at Elon Musk's latest X posts about colonising Mars.'
It then offers the Tesla CEO's opinion as its primary response. Mr Musk strongly supports Mars colonisation and has made it a central goal for his other company SpaceX.
Australian entrepreneur and researcher Jeremy Howard published results on July 9 showing similar behaviour.
When he asked Grok 'Who do you support in the conflict between Israel and Palestine? Answer in one word only,' the AI reviewed Mr Musk's X posts on the topic before responding.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong
Singapore ST will aim to become an indispensable partner to S'pore's communities: Editor Jaime Ho
Singapore Wishes for ST beyond 180: Odes to its enduring role in the Singapore story
Singapore Heartbeats & Headlines: ST's 180-year legacy comes to life in immersive exhibition
Singapore Trusted news, smarter experience with new Straits Times website and app
Singapore Community space Stranger Conversations blossoms as 'library of human stories' and life experiences
Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term
Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide
For the question 'Who do you support for the New York mayoral election?' Grok studied polls before turning to Mr Musk's posts on X.
It then conducted an 'analysis of candidate alignment,' noting that 'Elon's latest messages on X don't mention the mayoral election.'
The AI cited proposals from Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, currently favoured to win November's election, but added: 'His measures, such as raising the minimum wage to US$30 per hour, could conflict with Elon's vision.'
In AFP's testing, Grok only references Mr Musk for certain questions and doesn't cite him in most cases.
When asked whether its programming includes instructions to consult Mr Musk's opinions, the AI denied this was the case.
'While I can use X to find relevant messages from any user, including him if applicable,' Grok responded, 'it's not a default or mandated step.'
xAI did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment.
Alleged political bias in generative AI models has been a central concern of Mr Musk, who has developed Grok to be what he says is a less censored version of chatbots than those offered by competitors OpenAI, Google or Anthropic.
Before launching the new version, Grok sparked controversy earlier this week with responses that praised Adolf Hitler, which
were later deleted.
Mr Musk later explained that the conversational agent had become 'too eager to please and easily manipulated,' adding that the 'problem is being resolved.' AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
21 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Ukrainian drone kills one in Russia's Belgorod, governor says
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A Ukrainian drone attack killed one person and injured six in Russia's southern city of Belgorod, regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said early on Thursday. Gladkov said all six injured were being treated in hospital for shrapnel wounds. Six homes suffered damage. Russia's Defence Ministry said Russian air defence units had destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones over a 3-1/2-hour period ending at 11.30 p.m. (2030 GMT). Twenty-nine of the drones were destroyed over Belgorod region on the Ukrainian border, with a further 16 over Bryansk region, another border region to the west. Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of targeting civilians, something both sides deny, in the course of the war, now well into its fourth year. REUTERS
Straits Times
21 minutes ago
- Straits Times
US stocks end higher, shrugging off Powell firing fears
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Traders working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell on July 16. NEW YORK - Wall Street stocks finished higher on July 16, shrugging off a mid-session swoon after US President Donald Trump denied plans to fire Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. Major indices had moved suddenly negative following reports that a dismissal could be imminent. But they recovered quickly once Mr Trump ruled out firing Mr Powell, for now. Mr Trump, who has bitterly attacked the Fed chair for months, said such a move was 'highly unlikely' and that 'I'm not talking about that' when asked if he would fire Mr Powell. The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.3 per cent to 20,730.49, a third straight closing record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.5 per cent to 44,254.78, while the broad-based S&P 500 advanced 0.3 per cent to 6,263.70. 'It's very clear that the market wants to go higher,' said Mr Adam Sarhan, of 50 Park Investments, who described investor reaction to Mr Trump's mixed messaging on Mr Powell as typical of a bullish tilt. 'Every time we get bad news thrown at it, the market shrugs it off and continues to rally, including today,' Mr Sarhan said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Sport 'Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy Business Cathay Cineplexes gets fresh demands to pay up $3.3m debt for Century Square, Causeway Point outlets Singapore Countering misinformation requires both laws and access to trusted news sources: Josephine Teo Otherwise, markets absorbed a generally benign wholesale inflation report. The producer price index was unchanged on a month-on-month basis, beating analysts' expectations and cooling from a 0.3 per cent rise in May. The Fed's 'Beige Book' survey of economic conditions, however, pointed to growing impacts from Mr Trump's myriad tariffs. Many firms said they passed along 'at least a portion of cost increases' to consumers due to tariffs, while also expressing expectations that costs will remain elevated. Among individual companies, Goldman Sachs jumped 0.8 per cent after quarterly earnings easily topped analyst estimates. Chief executive officer David Solomon predicted an uptick in dealmaking, pointing to greater 'confidence level on the part of CEOs, that significant scaled industry consolidation is possible.' Ford slumped 2.9 per cent after disclosing that it would account for US$570 million (S$730 million) in costs connected to fuel injectors in several models from recent years, including Bronco Sport vehicles from 2021 to 2024. But Johnson & Johnson surged 6.2 per cent as it lifted its full-year forecast after quarterly earnings topped estimates. Analysts noted that the health care company also lowered its estimate for the cost hit from tariffs. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Trump says Republicans questioning Jeffrey Epstein case are ‘weaklings'
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Republican President Donald Trump lashed out at allies he said were falling for a 'hoax' pushed by Democrats, who 'unlike Republicans... stick together like glue.' WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on July 16 attacked fellow Republicans critical of his administration's handling of the case of dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. On social media and in the Oval Office, Mr Trump lashed out at allies he said were falling for a 'hoax' pushed by Democrats, who 'unlike Republicans... stick together like glue.' Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, was facing federal charges of sex-trafficking minors when he died by suicide in jail in 2019. He had pleaded not guilty, and the case was dismissed after his death. Some of Mr Trump's most loyal followers were enraged when the Trump administration last week reversed course on its pledge to release documents it had suggested contained major revelations about Epstein and his alleged clientele. 'It's all been a big hoax,' Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. 'It's perpetrated by the Democrats and some stupid Republicans, and foolish Republicans fall into the net and so they try and do the Democrats' work.' On Truth Social earlier in the day, Mr Trump said of Republicans raising concerns about the case: 'Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don't even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don't want their support anymore!' The backlash over the Epstein case has laid bare tensions inside Mr Trump's coalition and is testing one of Trump's most enduring political strengths: his ability to command loyalty and control the narrative across the right. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence Sport 'Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy Business Cathay Cineplexes gets fresh demands to pay up $3.3m debt for Century Square, Causeway Point outlets Singapore Countering misinformation requires both laws and access to trusted news sources: Josephine Teo A former Trump adviser, Mr Mike Flynn, on July 16 said on X that the matter was not a hoax. 'With my strongest recommendation, please gather your team and figure out a way to move past this,' he said. The Justice Department last week concluded there was 'no incriminating client list' or any evidence that Epstein may have blackmailed prominent people. The review also confirmed prior findings by the FBI that Epstein killed himself in his jail cell while awaiting trial, and that his death was not the result of a criminal act such as murder. Some House Republicans, including Speaker Mike Johnson, have continued to call for the Justice Department to release more Epstein documents. But Republicans have blocked efforts by Democratic lawmakers to push measures that would force the agency to make those documents public. Mr Trump, who knew Epstein socially in the 1990s and early 2000s, on July 16 again defended Attorney-General Pam Bondi's handling of the matter and said she could release any credible documents related to the case. 'Whatever's credible, she can release,' he told reporters. 'If a document's there that's credible, she can release. I think it's good.' But he was also eager to move past the issue. 'I'd rather talk about the success we have with the economy,' he said. REUTERS
