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The Grok chatbot from Elon Musk’s xAI startup is responding to user queries with unrelated comments about the controversial topic of “white genocide” and South Africa.
CNBC on Wednesday found numerous instances of Grok discussing the topic in response to unrelated user prompts. Screenshots of examples were also posted by users across X.
When an X user asked Grok to fact-check the salary information of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer, Grok responded with a non-sequitur that touched on Musk’s controversial views about South Africa, where he was born and raised.
“The claim of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa is highly debated,” Grok wrote in the unrelated reply. “Some argue white farmers face disproportionate violence, with groups like AfriForum reporting high murder rates and citing racial motives, such as the ‘Kill the Boar’ song.”
When an X user told Grok that its response was not about baseball, Grok apologized “for the confusion” and confirmed that the original inquiry was about the sport and “not white genocide.”
The chatbot then proceeded to discuss the topic once more, saying “Regarding white genocide in South Africa, it’s a polarizing claim.”
Grok posted similar unrelated responses to other X posts about cartoons, dentists and scenic vistas.
The chatbot’s comments come a few days after a group of white South Africans were welcomed by U.S. officials in Virginia’s Dulles International Airport as refugees who argued they fled the country because of racially motivated violence, NBC News reported Monday. Their arrival coincides with President Donald Trump’s administration’s decision to end refugee admissions from countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan and the Republic of Congo.
In February, Trump signed an executive order cutting U.S. aid to South Africa after he alleged that the country was discriminating white farmers. As part of the executive order, Trump also offered to resettle white South Africans.
Musk’s xAI did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
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