Few mainstream social media sites have become more inundated with misinformation since the 2020 presidential election than X. Elon Musk bought the platform formerly known as Twitter in late 2022 and quickly instituted policies that allowed the worst elements of society to thrive. But X reportedly fixed at least one problem recently identified by several state attorneys general with the AI chatbot Grok. And it may be a small fix, but it’s better than nothing.
What was the problem with X’s Grok? Apparently, when you asked it questions about the 2024 election, the AI would repeatedly get things wrong about election laws. When President Joe Biden stepped aside on July 21 to allow Kamala Harris to run, Grok users were fed all kinds of information that simply wasn’t true when asked about how things would change in the race.
The secretaries of state for Minnesota, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Washington all wrote a joint letter to Elon Musk and X about the problems on August 5. The letter laid out some of the most concerning problems, like the answers Grok would give about whether Harris still had time to get on the ballot to become the Democratic nominee.
From the letter, which was also published online:
Within hours of President Joe Biden stepping away from his presidential candidacy on July 21, 2024, false information on ballot deadlines produced by Grok was shared on multiple social media platforms. The post from Grok said, âThe ballot deadline has passed for several states for the 2024 election. Some of these states include: 1. Alabama 2. Indiana 3. Michigan 4. Minnesota 5. New Mexico 6. Ohio 7. Pennsylvania 8. Texas 9. Washington.â This is false. In all nine states the opposite is true: 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.
While the letter notes Grok is only available to paying subscribers on X, and includes a disclaimer about the fact that Grok can get things wrong, the secretaries of state noted how the false information about ballot deadlines had “been captured and shared repeatedly in multiple postsâreaching millions of people.” And that’s the bigger problem. Grok is a relatively niche service for people who are dumb enough to give Elon Musk money. However, the information from Grok can spread far and wide if people share screenshots on X and other social media sites. Especially if that information confirms existing biases or preconceived notions for confused individuals, like the idea that Harris is somehow ineligible to become president.
But Grok has reportedly been fixed, at least when it comes to information about ballot deadlines. The secretaries of state released a new letter on Monday praising X for doing something about it. Grok now directs users to Vote.gov, which has accurate information about voting rules and regulations.
âWe appreciate Xâs action to improve their platform and hope they continue to make improvements that will ensure their users have access to accurate information from trusted sources in this critical election year,” the new letter reads. “Elections are a team effort, and we need and welcome any partners who are committed to ensuring free, fair, secure, and accurate elections.”
As the secretaries of state note, the finer points of election rules can vary by state, which can make it difficult to keep things straight. But Vote.gov has the information that people need. And as long as Grok directs people there, rather than making shit up, things should be alright.
“In the U.S., all elections are run by local officials, who are supported and overseen by a state agency,” the statement reads. “Election rules and procedures can vary widely from state to state, and voters should seek out information from their local election officials about who can vote when they can vote, and how they can vote in their area. Websites like Vote.gov and CanIVote.org are also trustworthy resources that can connect voters with their local election officials.â
Don’t forget to register to vote. Depending on where you live, the deadline could be coming soon.
