SNP MP Pete Wishart has requested the shutdown of Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, after it labeled him a “rape enabler.” The incident occurred on X, where a user prompted Grok to comment on Wishart’s stance regarding a proposed inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland. In response, Grok stated that it would be fair to label Wishart in that way, further asserting that he supported the Scottish government’s decision not to pursue a separate inquiry, implying it was done to protect political interests.
Mr. Wishart expressed that the accusation was both “deeply distressing” and shocking, leading him to seek legal advice. He indicated that he had received abusive and threatening messages following the chatbot’s response. He called for better regulation of AI systems to ensure that they serve the public interest. It is noted that Grok is designed to generate replies to posts when users tag it.
The exchange began as Mr. Wishart prompted Grok to react to a video of Musk discussing the grooming gang scandal. Additional users followed up with questions about Wishart’s record, leading to Grok’s controversial reply. Despite being a member of Westminster and not part of the SNP-led Scottish government, Wishart’s comments were misaligned with Grok’s description of him.
In a subsequent post, Wishart claimed to have received an apology from Grok through another platform, sharing transcripts of their conversation. However, experts clarified that AI responses depend on the specific prompts and data the model uses. Max Falkenberg, a data scientist, indicated that Grok’s reply was not independently generated but rather a prediction based on existing data influenced by user prompts.
Since its launch, Grok has been involved in various controversies, including producing inflammatory content. Musk has previously stated that Grok is intended to address questions that are often avoided by other AI systems.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d6vwg80qyo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss