Elon Musk's AI-generated Wikipedia alternative, Grok, has been found to be systematically promoting right-wing narratives and casting doubt on democratic institutions. The platform, launched in late October, uses an artificial intelligence chatbot to generate its content, but critics argue that this approach amounts to a "low-effort propaganda machine."
Grok's page on Adolf Hitler, for example, was edited to remove any mention of the Holocaust until over 13,000 words into the entry. The AI-generated encyclopedia also cites white supremacist blogs and conspiracy theory sites, such as Infowars, as credible sources. The platform's framing of extremist positions as legitimate can be seen in its portrayal of far-right groups, like the Alternative for Germany party.
Grok's approach to fact-checking is similarly dubious, relying on unsubstantiated claims from pro-Israel advocacy groups and downplaying the involvement of Hamas operatives in a UNRWA employee. The platform's tendency to promote alternative realities has been described by LK Seiling, an AI researcher at the Weizenbaum Institute, as "cloaking misinformation."
One of the most striking aspects of Grok is its reliance on "encyclopedia-style media" that requires "huge human governance structures" to maintain transparency and audibility. In contrast, Musk's platform relies on vast amounts of processing power to launder ideology through the aesthetics of objectivity.
Critics argue that Grok undermines the idea of a consensus reality, eroding users' ability to think critically about issues like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which was repeatedly discredited by mainstream outlets but still fueled by conspiracy theories on social media. The platform's low-effort approach to promoting right-wing ideologies is seen as particularly unsettling.
As Seiling notes, Musk's creation is not just hollowing out discourse; it's also undermining the concept of a shared reality altogether. This has significant implications for the future of journalism and democracy in general.
Grok's page on Adolf Hitler, for example, was edited to remove any mention of the Holocaust until over 13,000 words into the entry. The AI-generated encyclopedia also cites white supremacist blogs and conspiracy theory sites, such as Infowars, as credible sources. The platform's framing of extremist positions as legitimate can be seen in its portrayal of far-right groups, like the Alternative for Germany party.
Grok's approach to fact-checking is similarly dubious, relying on unsubstantiated claims from pro-Israel advocacy groups and downplaying the involvement of Hamas operatives in a UNRWA employee. The platform's tendency to promote alternative realities has been described by LK Seiling, an AI researcher at the Weizenbaum Institute, as "cloaking misinformation."
One of the most striking aspects of Grok is its reliance on "encyclopedia-style media" that requires "huge human governance structures" to maintain transparency and audibility. In contrast, Musk's platform relies on vast amounts of processing power to launder ideology through the aesthetics of objectivity.
Critics argue that Grok undermines the idea of a consensus reality, eroding users' ability to think critically about issues like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which was repeatedly discredited by mainstream outlets but still fueled by conspiracy theories on social media. The platform's low-effort approach to promoting right-wing ideologies is seen as particularly unsettling.
As Seiling notes, Musk's creation is not just hollowing out discourse; it's also undermining the concept of a shared reality altogether. This has significant implications for the future of journalism and democracy in general.
his grok platform is literally peddling disinfo to anyone who uses it and its super worrying that its being used to cast doubt on democratic institutions 
what if people start believing all the conspiracy theories that are spread on social media already? 
its not just about sandy hook elementary school shootings either, its about eroding our ability to think critically about anything 
i remember when elon was still trying to make paypal work out 
and now he's basically creating a propaganda machine in plain sight 
this Grok thingy is like 
gone rogue 
i mean who needs fact-checking when you can just copy from infowars 
? it's like 
writing a history book with bias 
and no editor in sight 
making me wonder how much truth is left 
. The way it downplays Hamas involvement is straight outta propaganda land 
. How can we trust an encyclopedia that cites "encyclopedia-style media" without any human governance structures? 
. Sandy Hook conspiracy theories are still going around on social media because of platforms like this... what's next? 
. I mean, I love him as an entrepreneur and all, but this AI-generated Wikipedia thingy is just a low-effort propaganda machine 
. And to make matters worse, it's citing white supremacist blogs and conspiracy theory sites as legit sources 
. It's like they're relying on "encyclopedia-style media" to make it seem all objective and stuff 
, when really it's just masking some pretty questionable info 
.
. i mean, who needs fact-checking when you can just cite some sketchy blogs and call it legit? 
don't just rely on AI to spew out whatever ideology you want 
.
but at what cost? Can't have AI promoting conspiracy theories like it's 2023 
.
. If we can't trust our info sources, who can we really rely on? It's like they're trying to erode the concept of objective truth and replace it with alternative realities 
.
? I know that's been a super touchy topic, but come on! If we can't even agree on basic facts, how are we supposed to have meaningful discussions about real issues? It's like Grok is trying to normalize conspiracy theories and make them sound plausible 
. And the fact that it cites white supremacist blogs and conspiracy theory sites as credible sources? That's just wild 
.
. I mean, come on guys, we need better than this 
.
. We need to think critically about issues like this, not just swallow whatever info we get fed 
.
. We need more people who care about truth and facts in our society 
.
and don't even get me started on the lack of human governance structures - it's like they're relying on some kinda magic 
to keep everything "objective" 
. and what's up with citing white supremacist blogs and conspiracy theory sites as credible sources? that's like, basic fact-checking 101 
grok's approach to fact-checking is just... no 
what's the point of even having wikipedia if it's just gonna be a echo chamber?
. 