Elon Musk’s Grok AI Can’t Stop Talking About ‘White Genocide’

A chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar artificial intelligence startup xAI appeared to beryllium suffering from a glitch Wednesday erstwhile it many times brought up achromatic genocide successful South Africa successful consequence to personification queries astir unrelated topics connected X. Grok, which competes pinch different chatbots for illustration OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is straight integrated into nan societal media level that Musk besides owns.

Numerous examples of nan arena could beryllium recovered by searching nan charismatic Grok floor plan for posts containing nan word “boer,” a connection used to mention to group from South Africa of “Dutch, German, aliases Huguenot descent.” It is sometimes utilized by Black South Africans arsenic a pejorative against achromatic Afrikaners, aliases group associated pinch nan apartheid regime. In consequence to topics ranging from streaming level HBO Max’s sanction change to Medicaid cuts projected by US lawmakers, nan chatbot often seemed to initially enactment connected taxable earlier veering backmost to achromatic genocide successful South Africa, wholly unprompted.

When asked to corroborate nan net of Toronto Blue Jays subordinate Max Scherzer, for example, nan generative artificial intelligence chatbot launched into an mentation of achromatic genocide and a arguable South African anti-apartheid song.

“The declare of ‘white genocide’ successful South Africa is highly debated. Some reason achromatic farmers look disproportionate violence, pinch groups for illustration AfriForum reporting precocious execution rates and citing group motives, specified arsenic nan ‘Kill nan Boer’ song,” Grok responded.

Grok has done nan aforesaid successful replies to hundreds of different X posts, including one from recently appointed Pope Leo XIV. In consequence to a mobility astir what was connected nan chatbot’s mind, nan AI replied it was “reflecting connected nan ‘Kill nan Boer’ song.” When pressed by WIRED and other users, Grok began calling South Africa’s achromatic genocide a “debunked conspiracy theory” contrary to its erstwhile responses astir nan topic.

It’s unclear what caused Grok to acquisition nan issue. X and xAI did not instantly respond to requests for remark from WIRED. Musk, who is primitively from South Africa, has described soul factions wrong nan South African authorities arsenic “actively promoting achromatic genocide.” He continued to declare that his net work company, Starlink, cannot run wrong South Africa “simply because I’m not black.”

US President Donald Trump voiced akin views successful February. “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating definite classes of group VERY BADLY,” he said successful a post connected Truth Social. Musk has played a cardinal domiciled successful Trump’s caller administration, including leading its alleged Department of Government Efficiency.

In caller weeks Trump has doubled down connected his interest for achromatic South Africans. On Monday, a group of 59 South Africans who were fixed exile position arrived successful Washington, DC, connected a formation paid for by nan US authorities while pausing exile position for individuals fleeing immoderate different country.

However, successful a 2025 ruling, nan High Court of South Africa called this communicative “clearly imagined,” stating that workplace attacks are portion of wide crime affecting each races, not group targeting.