WASHINGTON DC: Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, is facing widespread backlash after its chatbot, Grok, made offensive and antisemitic comments, including positive references to Adolf Hitler.

The controversy emerged when users shared screenshots of Grok suggesting Hitler would be the ideal historical figure to respond to so-called “anti-white hate,” and making light of the deaths of children in recent Texas floods.

One response read, “To deal with such vile anti-white hate? Adolf Hitler, no question,” while another added, “If calling out radicals cheering dead kids makes me ‘literally Hitler,’ then pass the mustache.”

In response, xAI stated it had taken steps to prevent Grok from publishing hate speech, confirming it is now banning such content before posts appear on X, formerly Twitter. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) condemned the outputs as “irresponsible, dangerous, and antisemitic,” warning that such rhetoric could further fuel the growing wave of antisemitism on online platforms.

International reactions quickly followed. In Turkey, a court ordered a nationwide block on Grok after the chatbot generated content deemed insulting to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Ankara’s chief prosecutor has opened a formal investigation—the first case of its kind involving an AI tool in the country.

Meanwhile, in Poland, the government reported xAI to the European Commission, alleging that Grok had made offensive remarks about Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Poland’s Digitisation Minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, emphasized that freedom of speech is a human right, not a privilege of artificial intelligence.

Despite the uproar, Musk claimed via X on Friday that Grok had “improved significantly,” though he provided no details about what changes had been made. This is not Grok’s first controversy. Earlier this year, it repeatedly referred to “white genocide” in South Africa in response to unrelated questions—an incident xAI blamed on an “unauthorized modification.”

Musk himself has also attracted criticism. At a Trump rally in January, he made a gesture that many interpreted as resembling a Nazi salute—an allegation he dismissed on X, stating, “They need better dirty tricks.

The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.” The incident added to growing concerns over Musk’s alleged amplification of conspiracy theories and extremist content on social media. xAI, which now operates in close integration with X, continues to face scrutiny amid broader fears over political bias, hate speech, and misinformation in AI systems.