Five secretaries of state have called on Elon Musk, the owner of X, to address allegations that his social media platform’s Grok AI chatbot spread false information about ballot deadlines in nine states. In a letter dated August 5th, Secretaries of State Steve Hobbs (Washington), Jocelyn Benson (Michigan), Steve Simon (Minnesota), Maggie Toulouse Oliver (New Mexico), and Al Schmidt (Pennsylvania) claimed that the AI chatbot disseminated inaccurate information just hours after President Joe Biden withdrew his reelection bid on July 21st.
According to the officials, Grok’s results falsely stated that “the ballot deadline has passed” for elections in Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington. The letter emphasized that this information was incorrect and highlighted upcoming ballot deadlines that would allow for changes to candidates listed on the ballot for President and Vice President.
The letter alleged that Grok continued to repeat this false information for over a week before it was corrected on July 31st. The secretaries of state urged X to ensure accurate guidance is provided to voters using their platform during this major election year.
While acknowledging that Grok is only available to subscribers of X’s premium versions and carries a disclaimer asking users to verify its answers, the officials expressed concern about the misinformation being shared across multiple social media platforms and reaching millions of people. They recommended following ChatGPT’s programming model developed by OpenAI which directs users seeking election-related information in the United States to CanIVote.org.
Grok was launched by X in November last year with a focus on answering questions with wit. The Epoch Times has reached out to X for comment regarding these allegations.
Secretary Hobbs also warned voters about potential manipulated and false information being inserted into social media from foreign actors or other sources ahead of upcoming elections. He emphasized the importance of verifying what is seen before believing it as artificial intelligence becomes easier and cheaper for malicious actors to manipulate.
Hobbs cited an example where Musk shared a manipulated recording of Vice President Kamala Harris in a post on X. He expressed concern about misleading material being shared by social media platform owners themselves which raises doubts about other materials allowed there.
It should be noted that last year Washington state legislators passed Senate Bill 5152 which restricts deepfake usage in political campaigning within the state while granting targeted candidates rights to sue for damages caused by undisclosed deepfakes.
Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 and rebranded it as X with an aim towards inclusivity where most Americans can engage in discussions.