Elon Musk's Grok Became 'Vile' And 'Insane' After MAGA Pivot, Says Economist Paul Krugman
Economist Paul Krugman believes that Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot became “MechaHitler” because the latter tried to make the AI less “politically correct.”
What Happened: On Thursday, Krugman weighed in on the recent controversy in his Substack newsletter, saying that he understands why xAI’s chatbot began spewing antisemitic propaganda, eventually calling itself “MechaHitler,” leading to significant industry backlash.
“Although I don't claim any expertise in the technology, I think I understand why he's having such a hard time fixing the problem,” Krugman said.
According to him, the AI began veering into dangerous territory following Musk’s push to make it less “politically correct.” He says, “Musk tried to nudge Grok into being less ‘politically correct,' but what Musk considers political correctness is often what the rest of us consider just a reasonable description of reality.”
Krugman ties Musk's AI troubles to a broader critique of right-wing ideology, such as the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement's rejection of mainstream consensus on issues like climate change and tax policy.
“To be a conservative in good standing, you have to deny reality, which was true even then and is far more true now,” Krugman wrote, referencing a quote from comedian Stephen Colbert that “reality has a well-known liberal bias.”
In the end, Krugman suggests that the problems aren’t with the models themselves, but the ideology that is trying to reshape them. “There isn't any way to make an AI MAGA-friendly without also making it vile and insane,” he says.
Why It Matters: This isn’t the first time that xAI’s Grok has found itself at the center of controversy in recent years. Nearly two months ago, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) accused it of being “left-leaning” and propagating “fake news” and “propaganda.”
A year ago, the tool generated images of political figures and celebrities that drew criticism over safety concerns.
This comes as the company launched its “SuperGrok Heavy” model last week, with a price tag of $300 per month, which Musk claims achieves “PhD levels in every subject” with “no exceptions.”
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