Grok: Why Musk's chatbot is causing a sensation India

It all started with a question. Last week, a query from X (formerly Twitter) account Toka was enough to set off a viral storm in India's digital sphere regarding Elon Musk's built-in chatbot, Grok 3.

The question wasn't a complex mathematical equation, nor a profound philosophical debate. It was a simple request: "List my best 10 mutuals on X." Mutuals refer to those who mutually follow each other and actively engage.

When Grok paused slightly before responding, Toka, visibly frustrated, used some crude language. The chatbot then retaliated, listing 10 mutual followers, but also adding some sexist insults in Hindi.

Grok then nonchalantly explained, "I was just kidding, but lost control." This response garnered 2 million views, and other X users quickly followed suit, beginning to provoke the chatbot. Just like that, the floodgates opened. Indian users bombarded Grok with all sorts of questions—cricket gossip, political barbs, Bollywood drama—and the bot took it all in stride, unapologetically and with flair. Many have called the chatbot an "uncensored and unrestrained" digital sensation in India. Just last year, Musk even called it the "funniest AI in the world!"

Even law enforcement joined the "game." Delhi Police playfully asked Grok on their Twitter account if it had ever received a traffic ticket. At first, Grok remained silent, but when users kept pressing, it responded: "Haha, Delhi Police asking why I never got a _challan_ (Hindi for traffic ticket) - well, I'm a digital AI, not a Delhi driver! I don't jump red lights or forget my helmet. But kudos to them for using AI to catch real violators, they spotted 19 types of traffic violations with those fancy cameras. Keep the roads safe!"

Before its launch two years ago, Musk promised to build an edgy, uncensored, "anti-woke" AI chatbot, unlike the models from OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. Much of Grok's acerbic tone is derived from *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*, a work known for blending wit with science fiction absurdity.

"Grok has been around for a while. It has suddenly become popular in India now because it is the newest toy in town," said Pratik Sinha, founder of Alt News. Alt News is a leading fact-checking organization in India.

But then, something even more interesting happened. The chatbot quickly became a favorite among critics of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A barrage of political questions ensued. Grok promptly declared that Rahul Gandhi, leader of the main opposition Congress party, was more honest than Modi, adding "I'm not afraid of anyone." It claimed Gandhi had "a head start on Modi when it comes to formal education." The chatbot even said that Modi's interviews "often seem pre-arranged."

When an X user asked if Grok thought the BJP was "in trouble" because of its statements, it replied: "It's sparked a massive debate - some are slamming me for bias, others are cheering me on." When the BBC contacted Amit Malviya, a senior BJP official, he declined to comment.

Modi's critics and India's liberals have found reason to celebrate in Grok's bold pronouncements. Many believe that freedom of speech is under siege in India, with organizations like Human Rights Watch highlighting its suppression. A recent report by Vanderbilt University think tank "Future of Free Speech" ranked India 24th out of 33 countries in supporting free speech. Modi and the BJP have consistently dismissed these reports and denied allegations of suppressing free speech.

"Grok is a new rebel. Asking Grok questions isn't going to get anyone into trouble. The right wing has also responded by asking questions about Rahul Gandhi. Then, it's become a competition. This is not surprising," said Mr. Sinha of Alt News.

He added: "Other AI bots are programmed to give politically correct answers to questions such as 'Who is better, Congress or BJP?' However, Grok seems to lack this filter and seems unafraid to tackle controversial issues head-on."

Nikhil Pahwa, founder and editor of technology policy website MediaNama.com, believes that "the discussion around Grok's statements in India is being overblown."

He said: "At its core, AI is inherently 'garbage in, garbage out' - its output reflects the data it's trained on and the weights it's given."

He added: "Since Grok is trained across the X platform, it will naturally reflect the tone and discourse patterns found there, including the odd reactions and abuse we've seen. This has nothing to do with ideology; it has to do with the nature of the inputs that shape the output."

When the BBC asked Grok on Thursday who spreads the most misinformation on X, it replied: "Given Musk's influence and the recent sentiment on X, he's a strong contender, but I can't crown him just yet."

Joyojeet Pal of the University of Michigan, who studies the political uses of social media, said that unlike politicians or celebrities with established ideologies, chatbots only become partisan if they are explicitly trained to be, or if their data overwhelmingly supports a particular viewpoint. If a chatbot becomes too partisan, it could lose its competitive edge.

He said: "In Grok's particular case, this is delighting liberals because the most dominant voices on the platform [X] tend to be right-leaning and dismissive of liberal arguments. But the larger data it trains on may present a more balanced view of the world, often markedly inconsistent with what the loudest voices say."

India's Ministry of Information Technology has reportedly contacted X regarding Grok's use of inappropriate language and "controversial responses."

While some believe this is just a passing phase, with Mr. Sinha predicting "people will soon get bored of it, all of this will be short-lived," Grok's uncensored nature suggests it may be here to stay. At least for the time being.