Five US states sent an open letter to Elon Musk on Monday, urging him to fix the AI chatbot on his social media platform, X, after it shared misinformation about the upcoming presidential election. The letter highlighted concerns from researchers that X, previously known as Twitter, is spreading political misinformation. Musk, who has endorsed Donald Trump, is accused of influencing voters by sharing false information on his account, which has nearly 193 million followers.
Last month, after President Joe Biden stepped down from the presidential race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, the chatbot called Grok spread false information about ballot deadlines. This misinformation was amplified by other platforms.
Grok groks them all 😎🤖 @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/x88ZBC9855
— Endrina Pavlić (@EPavlic) August 2, 2024
“We are calling on you to immediately implement changes to… Grok to ensure voters have accurate information in this critical election year,” the letter said.
The secretaries of state from Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Washington, and New Mexico signed the letter. In some states, these officials oversee elections. The chatbot incorrectly told users that the ballot deadline had passed in nine states, implying Harris was not eligible to replace Biden on the ballot.
“This is false. In all nine states the opposite is true,” the letter said. “The ballots are not closed, and upcoming ballot deadlines would allow for changes to candidates listed on the ballot for the offices of president and vice president of the United States.”
X did not respond to AFP’s request for comment. The letter noted that Grok continued spreading this false information for over a week until it was corrected on July 31.
“As tens of millions of voters in the US seek basic information about voting in this major election year, X has the responsibility to ensure all voters using your platform have access to guidance that reflects true and accurate information about their constitutional right to vote,” the letter said.
Researchers warn that AI-enabled misinformation could manipulate voters and increase tensions in the already polarized environment of America’s first AI-driven election in November.
Last week, Musk faced criticism for sharing an AI deepfake video featuring Harris. The video, which mimicked Harris’s voice, called Biden senile and claimed she did not “know the first thing about running the country.” The video had no indication it was a parody, except for a laughing emoji. Musk later clarified it was meant as satire.
Researchers worry viewers might have wrongly believed Harris was criticizing herself and Biden. X has been criticized for scaling back content moderation and reinstating accounts known for spreading misinformation. The platform has also been blamed for increasing tensions during recent far-right riots in England.
On Sunday, Musk faced further criticism for posting that “civil war is inevitable” in response to another user’s comments about the riots and “the effects of mass migration and open borders.”
