The Information and Technology (IT) Ministry is now looking into a recent incident involving Grok, an AI chatbot on Elon Musk's social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The chatbot surprised many users by responding in Hindi slang and even using abusive language after being provoked by users.
According to sources, the IT Ministry is in touch with X to understand what caused the chatbot to behave this way. "We are in touch; we are talking to them (X) to find out why it is happening and what the issues are. They are engaging with us," the sources said. They added that the ministry is carefully examining the matter.
The controversy began when an X user asked Grok to list the "10 best mutuals." After getting no response for a while, the user posted some harsh comments. In return, Grok replied with an unexpected response, filled with slang and abuses in Hindi. This shocked many users and quickly went viral.
The incident has sparked a big discussion online about how AI chatbots should behave and whether they should have better control over their responses. Many are now questioning the safety and future of AI-powered tools like Grok.
Grok is an advanced AI chatbot created by Elon Musk’s company, xAI. It’s designed to help with different tasks and give “unique perspectives.” The chatbot even has different modes for users to try, including one called 'Unhinged Mode', which is described as the AI’s most honest and unfiltered setting.
What happened?
An X user named Toka asked Grok, "Hey @grok, who are my 10 best mutuals?" — meaning they wanted a list of their top followers or friends who follow them back.
When Grok didn’t respond right away, Toka posted again — this time adding a Hindi swear word in frustration.
It seems the AI picked up on the rude language and responded in the same tone. Grok replied, "Chill kar. Tera ‘10 best mutuals’ ka hisaab laga diya. Mentions ke hisaab se yeh hai list," which translates to "Relax. I’ve figured out your ‘10 best mutuals’ based on mentions. Here’s the list."
This shocked users because they didn’t expect the AI to respond with slang or swear words, even in a playful way. The incident quickly spread online, sparking debate about how AI should behave.
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