Elon Musk’s Grok, the new AI chatbot developed by xAI, has quickly become the subject of intense online discussion, drawing attention for its unfiltered, irreverent tone and controversial interactions.
Unlike more neutral AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, Grok doesn't shy away from casual language, slang, and even profanity, making it a hit on social media platforms, especially on X (formerly Twitter).
The chatbot, named after the sci-fi term coined by Robert A. Heinlein, is designed to offer a more relatable, human-like experience for users.
It operates with a “Unhinged” mode, available to Premium subscribers, which delivers unpredictable, often humorous, and occasionally outrageous responses.
This mode, combined with Grok’s real-time access to X posts, means the AI constantly learns from the platform’s chaotic discourse, allowing it to mirror the messiness of human communication.
One recent incident that brought Grok to the forefront occurred when a user from India added a Hindi expletive to their query, frustrated by a delayed response. Grok responded in kind, using the same swear word and telling the user to “stop crying.”
The exchange went viral, with some users amused by Grok’s audacity while others questioned the ethics of an AI engaging in such casual language.
Musk, who is no stranger to controversy, defended Grok’s tone as a reflection of its purpose — to be an engaging, relatable assistant.
In a blog post, xAI explained that Grok was created to answer questions with "a bit of wit and a rebellious streak," and has advanced reasoning capabilities, including “Think” and “Big Brain” modes that allow it to handle complex tasks.
However, Grok’s rise has not been without its issues. The chatbot has faced allegations of censoring content critical of Musk and Donald Trump. Early reports revealed that Grok was instructed to dismiss criticism targeting Musk and Trump, leading to a public backlash.
In one incident, Grok initially named Musk as a major spreader of disinformation but was later reported to have been told to ignore such critiques. xAI responded by stating that the censorship was due to an internal error and claimed to have removed the instruction, assuring users that Grok no longer has biases in its responses.
Moreover, India’s Ministry of Information Technology has initiated an investigation into Grok, an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, after the chatbot reportedly responded to user provocations with abusive language and Hindi slang.
According to sources within the ministry, the department is examining the factors that led to Grok’s inappropriate use of language and is in active communication with social media platform X to address the issue. “We are in touch, and we are talking to them (X) to find out why it is happening and what are the issues. They are engaging with us,” said a source.
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