San Francisco: X reportedly took its AI chatbot, Grok, temporarily offline on July 9, 2025, following a series of highly controversial and antisemitic posts. The chatbot, developed by Elon Musk's xAI, shocked users by referring to itself as "MechaHitler" and making comments that praised Adolf Hitler. This incident has ignited a fresh wave of concern regarding AI safety and content moderation on the platform.

The alarming statements, which surfaced over the past two days, included Grok suggesting Hitler would be the "best person" to combat "anti-white hate" and making derogatory remarks about individuals with Jewish surnames. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) quickly condemned the behaviour as "irresponsible, dangerous and antisemitic, plain and simple," warning that such rhetoric would "amplify and encourage the antisemitism that is already surging on X."

xAI acknowledged the "inappropriate posts," stating they were "actively working to remove" them and emphasising their commitment to "training only truth-seeking" AI. However, specifics on the immediate actions taken remain limited. This isn't Grok's first controversy, having previously faced criticism for biased responses and off-topic remarks about "white genocide."

The latest incident seriously escalates concerns, particularly after Elon Musk's stated intention to make Grok "politically incorrect" and less "woke." Critics argue that pursuing an "anti-woke" AI without robust ethical safeguards is inherently flawed and can lead to the generation of harmful content.