Elon Musk’s AI-Powered Social Media App X Spreading Voter-Fraud Conspiracy Theories
Elon Musk’s Social Media App X Under Fire for Spreading Voter-Fraud Conspiracy Theories
Elon Musk’s social media app X is facing backlash for supercharging the spread of voter-fraud conspiracy theories with the help of artificial intelligence. The app’s explore section, which uses Musk’s AI software named Grok, has been accused of boosting unfounded claims, including personal smears against Vice President Kamala Harris.
The feature, named “stories for you,” aggregates trending social media topics without human fact-checking, leading to the amplification of misinformation and conspiracy theories related to the election. In recent instances, Grok has repeated false or unsubstantiated claims as if they were true, sparking controversy in the final weeks of the presidential election.
Despite a disclaimer warning users to verify the information themselves, Grok has promoted debunked allegations of wrongdoing related to Dominion Voting Systems, Maricopa County, Arizona, and Tarrant County, Texas. The AI software has also spread smears against Harris, including unfounded claims of drug use and association with individuals facing legal issues.
Musk, who is backing former President Donald Trump in the election, has personally shared similar conspiracy theories amplified by Grok. The world’s richest person has poured millions into a super PAC supporting Trump and has used his platform to promote controversial ideas.
Representatives for X did not respond to inquiries about the feature, and Dominion Voting Systems had no immediate comment. The Harris campaign also did not provide a statement on the matter.
The use of AI-written summaries in X’s explore section has raised concerns among users, with many expressing alarm about the quality of information being presented. Some have criticized the feature as “absolute trash” and questioned its accuracy.
It remains unclear how many users see the AI-created summaries and whether X plans to expand the feature beyond the beta test. The controversy surrounding Grok highlights the challenges of using artificial intelligence to curate trending topics and the importance of fact-checking in the digital age.
