Elon Musk’s X tweaks chatbot after US election disinformation warning | US election 2024

Social media platform changes Grok after complaint about incorrect information about voting deadlines in US states.

Social media platform X has modified its AI chatbot after five US secretaries of state warned that the platform was spreading election misinformation.

Top election officials from Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington sent a letter to Elon Musk this month complaining that the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok, had produced incorrect information about state voting deadlines shortly after President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race.

The secretaries of state asked the chatbot to direct users asking questions about the election to CanIvote.org, a voting information website operated by the National Association of Secretaries of State.

Before the chatbot answers questions about the election, it now says, “For accurate and up-to-date information about the 2024 U.S. elections, visit Vote.gov.”

Both websites are “trustworthy resources that can connect voters with their local election officials,” the five secretaries of state said in a joint statement.

“We appreciate X’s action to improve their platform and hope they continue to make improvements to ensure their users have access to accurate information from trusted sources in this crucial election year,” the spokespeople said.

Grok is only available to subscribers of the premium versions of X. But the undersecretaries of state who signed the letter said Grok’s election disinformation has been shared across multiple social media platforms and reached millions of people.

Grok continued to repeat the incorrect information for 10 days before correcting it, the secretaries said.

The platform did not respond to a request for comment.

The change, which promotes a link to an official voting website, does not appear to address Grok’s ability to create misleading AI-generated images related to elections. People have used the tool to flood the platform with fake images of candidates including US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

Grok debuted last year for X Premium and Premium Plus subscribers and was touted by Musk as a “rebellious” AI chatbot that will “answer tough questions that most other AI systems reject.”

Social media platforms are increasingly being criticized for their role in spreading disinformation, including about elections.

The letter also warned that inaccuracies are to be expected in AI products, especially chatbots like Grok, which are based on large language models.

Since Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and changed its name to X, watchdog groups have raised concerns about the rise of hate speech and misinformation on the platform, and there have been layoffs of content-moderating staff.