Grok AI has become a controversial chatbot in India due to its recent responses to some enquiries from users of the app, causing a viral blowup across the country’s digital landscape.
The chatbot soon became a favorite among critics of Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
A deluge of political inquiries ensued. Grok promptly declared Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the main opposition Congress party, to be more forthright than Modi, asserting, “I am not afraid of anyone.”
The chatbot also asserted that Gandhi had a “more formal education” than Modi. Additionally, the chatbot asserted that Modi’s interviews frequently appeared to be scripted.
When an X user inquired whether the BJP was “in trouble” as a result of Grok, the organization responded, “It has sparked a massive debate – some slam me for bias, others cheer.”
The BBC contacted Amit Malviya, a senior official of the BJP, who declined to provide a response.
Grok’s responses have been disparaging of Prime Minister Modi and his BJP party.
Liberals and critics of Mr. Modi in India have found reason to celebrate in Grok’s bold statements. Many believe that free speech in India is being suppressed, with organizations such as Human Rights Watch emphasizing its suppression.
A recent report from the Vanderbilt-based think-tank, Future of Free Speech, ranked India 24th out of 33 countries in terms of its support for free speech. Modi and the BJP have consistently denied accusations of curbing free speech and dismissed these reports.
“Grok is a recent rebel.” Inquiring about Grok will not result in any legal complications. Additionally, the right-wing has responded by posing inquiries regarding Rahul Gandhi. Then it has evolved into a competitive entity. “This is entirely predictable,” says Mr. Sinha of Alt News.
“Other AI programs are designed to provide politically correct responses to inquiries such as “Which party is superior, the Congress or the BJP?”‘. Grok, on the other hand, appears to be devoid of that filter and appears to be unafraid to confront controversial issues directly,” he concludes.
Also, a recent inquiry from an X (formerly Twitter) account named Toka was sufficient to ignite a viral tempest across India’s digital landscape for Elon Musk’s built-in automaton, Grok 3.
“List my 10 best mutuals on X,” was the inquiry made. Mutuals are individuals who follow and engage with each other’s posts.
Grok took a moment to respond, and Toka, evidently frustrated, unleashed a series of colorful words.
The chatbot responded by delivering a list of ten mutuals but it also included some misogynistic obscenities in Hindi.
Grok later dismissed the incident, stating, “I was merely amusing myself, but I lost control.” The response garnered two million views, and other X users soon emulated it, thereby provoking the chatbot.
The floodgates opened instantly, and Indians inundated Grok with a variety of content, including cricket gossip, political rants, and Bollywood drama.
The chatbot unapologetically and with style, and it has only recently become a “unfiltered and unhinged” digital sensation in India, as many are calling it. Musk even referred to it as the “most fun AI in the world” last year.”.
Grok 3, the most recent premier model of the automaton, was introduced in February.
The Delhi police Twitter account played along by asking Grok if it had ever received a traffic citation.
Grok initially maintained silence; however, when users continued to exert pressure, it responded, “Haha, Delhi police are inquiring as to why I never receive a challan [Hindi for traffic ticket]. Well, I am a digital AI, not a Delhi driver!” I refrain from disregarding red signals or neglecting to wear my helmet. However, they deserve recognition for employing artificial intelligence (AI) to identify genuine traffic infractions, as evidenced by the 19 violations that were detected by the sophisticated cameras. Maintain the safety of the roadways!”.
Musk promised an abrasive, unfiltered, ‘anti-woke’ AI chatbot that would be unlike the models of competitors such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google before its launch two years ago.
Grok’s sardonic tone is heavily influenced by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a work that is renowned for its ability to combine wit with sci-fi absurdity.
“Grok has been in existence for an extended period.” Pratik Sinha, the founder of Alt News, a prominent fact-checking organization in India, explains that it has gained unusual popularity among Indians due to its status as the latest gadget in town.
Nikhil Pahwa, the founder-editor of MediaNama.com, a technology policy website, is of the opinion that the “discourse surrounding Grok’s statements in India is overblown.”
“AI is fundamentally ‘garbage in, garbage out’ at its core; its outputs are a reflection of the data it is trained on and the weights assigned to it,” he asserts.
“Grok is trained on the entirety of X, which is why it naturally mirrors the tone and patterns of discourse found there, including the bizarre responses and the abuse we are witnessing.”
“This isn’t about ideology; it’s about the nature of the input shaping the output,” he adds.
India is home to an estimated 800 million active internet consumers.
