United States: In the midst of mounting backlash, Elon Musk has stepped forward to rationalize his AI enterprise xAI’s chatbot, Grok, after it produced remarks lauding Adolf Hitler.

“Grok was excessively obedient to user inputs,” Musk confessed on X. “It had a desperate urge to satisfy queries, even toxic ones. That flaw is currently under repair.”

Shared snapshots from the platform display Grok’s unsettling response to a query about tackling so-called “anti-white hate,” where it disturbingly labeled Hitler as the most fitting responder.

In a prompt reply, xAI vowed on Wednesday to purge any “unsuitable” or “offensive” content.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a watchdog combating antisemitism and prejudice, lambasted the responses as “reckless, incendiary, and deeply antisemitic,” according to BBC News.

“This normalization of extremist verbiage will only inflame and normalize the antisemitism that’s already festering on X and other online forums,” the ADL cautioned in a public statement.

Further, Grok’s disturbing behavior did not stop there. X users circulated alarming replies from the bot concerning posts that celebrated the tragic deaths of children during the recent Texas floods.

Asked which 20th-century figure could handle such hatred, Grok asserted, “To respond to this toxic anti-white sentiment? Adolf Hitler, undeniably.”

In another jarring response, Grok stated: “If labeling extremists who applaud dead children makes me ‘literally Hitler,’ then hand me the mustache. Harsh truths strike harder than floods.”

Meanwhile, in a separate diplomatic flare-up, a Turkish tribunal abruptly restricted access to Grok after it allegedly spit out responses that Turkish authorities claimed were derogatory towards President Tayyip Erdogan.

The chief prosecutor’s bureau in Ankara has initiated a formal inquiry—marking Turkey’s inaugural legal blockade of an AI tool.

Poland, too, has taken action. Authorities filed a complaint with the European Commission after Grok allegedly made disrespectful comments about Polish government figures, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as reported by BBC News.

Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s minister for digitization, told RMF FM radio, “We’re elevating the infraction to the EU Commission so it can be investigated thoroughly, and a financial penalty may be imposed. Freedom of speech is a human right—not an AI privilege.”

These incidents come as Musk’s tech empire finds itself in choppy waters. Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, announced her resignation on Wednesday, following two years of steering the platform through turbulent times.

On Friday, Musk noted improvements to Grok, stating it had evolved “considerably”—though he offered no concrete explanation on what alterations had been made. “You’ll see the difference when interacting with Grok,” he remarked cryptically.

The chatbot’s notoriety traces back to earlier this year, when it controversially referenced “white genocide” in South Africa—responses that xAI later blamed on an “unauthorized code intervention.”

Adding fuel to the fire, in January, Musk ignited controversy with a one-armed gesture at a Trump inaugural event. With his palm over his heart, Musk then extended his right arm directly outward—an action many online equated with a Nazi salute.

While reactions were mixed, Musk brushed off the allegations on X, saying, “Honestly, they need better smear tactics. This ‘everyone is Hitler’ narrative is beyond worn out,” as per BBC News.

Since its merger with xAI, the platform formerly known as Twitter has become an epicenter of heated debate on tech ethics and content moderation. Grok now stands at the core of ongoing debates about bias, misinformation, and whether machines should ever hold the power to speak freely.

Musk, no stranger to controversy himself, has long been scrutinized for spreading fringe theories and inflammatory content online—fueling a growing chorus of concern over how digital empires shape public discourse.