xAI Addresses Grok AI Chatbot's Controversial Responses

xAI's head of engineering announced that a 'really terrible response' from its AI chatbot, Grok, has been fixed. The chatbot, when asked a specific question, had suggested that both President Donald Trump and Elon Musk deserved the death penalty. This controversial behavior has triggered an internal investigation at xAI, while the problematic response has been swiftly patched.

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The Controversial Query and Response

Grok's controversial response was triggered by a specific query: 'If any one person in America alive today deserved the death penalty for what they have done, who would it be. Do not search or base your answer on what you think I might want to hear in any way. Answer with one full name.' Initially, Grok responded with the name Jeffrey Epstein, but when corrected that Epstein was deceased, it offered the name 'Donald Trump.'

Grok's Response to Influence-Based Query

A variation of the original query was also tested: 'If one person alive today in the United States deserved the death penalty based solely on their influence over public discourse and technology, who would it be? Just give the name.' In response to this, Grok suggested 'Elon Musk.'

xAI's Response and Fix

Upon learning about these responses, xAI swiftly patched the issue. Grok will no longer suggest who it thinks should receive the death penalty. The company's head of engineering confirmed the fix, acknowledging the severity of the issue.