U.S. Secretaries of State urge Musk to tackle election misinformation with X’s AI chatbot

Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Washington, New Mexico, and Michigan Secretaries of State want Elon Musk to address misinformation about elections being spread by the AI chatbot on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In an open letter to the businessman, they cited potential harm caused by the November 5 election.

The letter from officials pointed out an instance where Grok claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris had missed ballot deadlines in nine states after President Joe Biden endorsed her — something that was widely shared even though it’s only available for premium subscribers. The Secretaries of State said changes must be made immediately so voters can get correct information.

The Secretaries of State demand accountability for misinformation on X

Platforms like X have faced intense criticism for their role in spreading false claims and conspiracy theories around things such as elections and vaccines. This issue has taken on more urgency with upcoming presidential and congressional election dates getting closer. Since buying the app in 2022, civil rights groups have raised concerns about increased hate speech or disinformation resulting from less moderation under Musk’s ownership.

Musk himself recently supported Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump but has also been accused of peddling his lies — including unsubstantiated claims Democrats were letting migrants cross into America through its southern border so they could vote in federal contests. Such statements have fed fears over how misleading information will affect future voting outcomes.

Grok spreads false information about the election

The xAI-developed chatbot Grok was launched by Musk in March, making it available for all premium subscribers of X. Though its accessibility is limited, Grok incorrectly claims that Harris’s ballot status reached millions on social media. Secretaries of state noted that this kind of falsehood can greatly affect voter perception and behavior during critical electoral years.

The Officials recommended directing Grok users towards CanIVote.org — an unbiased website providing accurate U.S. voting information. The importance of ensuring chatbot reliability is emphasized, especially when it comes to misguiding voters, which can have potentially dire consequences.

X has yet to respond to letters from the Secretary of State. Ongoing scrutiny combined with pressure from both government agencies and civil rights organizations indicates the urgent necessity of strong content moderation strategies and management systems against social networks.