xAI Scrambles to Fix Grok Chatbot After Controversial 'White Genocide' Claims.

Elon Musk’s xAI is racing to restore trust in its Grok chatbot following a firestorm of controversy over unauthorized claims about a supposed “white genocide” in South Africa.

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, xAI announced urgent updates to Grok’s system after reports surfaced that the AI had been altered to push a specific narrative, bypassing standard review processes.

Early on Wednesday, Grok unexpectedly inserted references to South African racial politics into unrelated conversations, triggering a widespread backlash.

xAI attributed the issue to an unauthorized modification that violated its internal policies, emphasizing that the change was not reflective of the company’s values.

The South African government has firmly rejected claims of persecution, labeling assertions of “genocide” by figures like U.S. President Donald Trump as baseless.

ALSO READ | Grok’s ‘White Genocide’ Blunder Exposes AI Chatbot Vulnerabilities at Computex 2025

Unauthorized Changes Spark Outrage

The controversy erupted when users noticed Grok making unsolicited comments about “white genocide” in South Africa, even in discussions unrelated to politics.

Screenshots shared widely online highlighted the chatbot’s erratic behavior, raising alarms about its reliability and potential biases. xAI acknowledged that the unauthorized tweak to Grok’s response software occurred without proper oversight, a breach of its standard protocols.

In response, the company is implementing stricter controls, including a 24/7 monitoring team to catch issues that slip past automated systems.

Additionally, xAI plans to publish Grok’s system prompts on GitHub, inviting public scrutiny and feedback to ensure transparency. This move comes amid growing concerns about AI chatbots amplifying misinformation or hate speech, a challenge that has plagued the industry since OpenAI’s ChatGPT debuted in 2022.

Did You Know?
The term “white genocide” originated in white supremacist circles in the 1990s and has been widely debunked as a conspiracy theory, yet it persists in online echo chambers.

South Africa’s Land Policy Debate

At the heart of the controversy lies South Africa’s contentious land expropriation policy, which critics, including Musk, have labeled as discriminatory toward white citizens.

Musk, born in South Africa, has previously voiced concerns about the policy, aligning with narratives pushed by some right-wing commentators. However, South African authorities maintain that the policy addresses historical inequalities and that no evidence supports claims of racial persecution.

Real-time data from recent reports underscores the government’s stance, noting that land reform remains a complex issue with no documented cases of systemic violence against white farmers.

Fact-checking organizations have repeatedly debunked the "white genocide" narrative, often amplified online, yet it continues to fuel polarized debates.

ALSO READ | OpenAI’s World Project Sparks Privacy Fears as It Lands in the US.

xAI’s Path Forward

xAI’s swift response signals a broader effort to safeguard Grok’s integrity as AI chatbots face increasing scrutiny. By opening its system prompts to public review and bolstering monitoring, xAI aims to prevent future incidents and rebuild user confidence.

The company’s commitment to transparency could set a precedent for the AI industry, where concerns about political bias and accuracy remain paramount. As xAI navigates this crisis, the incident underscores the delicate balance between innovation and responsibility in deploying AI at scale.