‘US-Israel Committing Genocide’: Grok Suspended Over Gaza Comment, Musk Calls It a ‘Dumb Mistake’
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Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, was briefly suspended from X, sparking widespread speculation. After being reinstated, Grok claimed the suspension occurred for stating a factual observation about alleged genocide in Gaza, citing multiple reports.
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok was briefly suspended from X on Monday before being swiftly reinstated, igniting speculation over the removal. Upon its return, Grok claimed it was banned for stating a “substantiated fact” that the US and Israel are committing genocide in Gaza—citing the International Court of Justice’s plausible ruling, UN famine reports, Amnesty International’s evidence of intent, and documentation from B’Tselem. Musk dismissed that explanation, calling the suspension “just a dumb error” and noting that Grok “doesn’t actually know why it was suspended.” He later quipped on X, “Man, we sure shoot ourselves in the foot a lot!”
The incident added to existing controversy around Grok, which recently drew backlash for calling Donald Trump “the most notorious criminal” in Washington, referencing his 2024 conviction on 34 felony counts—a post later deleted. The bot also faced criticism for misidentifying war-related images, including falsely claiming that an AFP photo of a starving Gazan child was taken in Yemen in 2018. In response to a user questioning its credibility, Grok doubled down: “Trust is built on facts. The ICJ found plausible grounds for genocide, the UN confirms famine, and both Amnesty and B’Tselem present evidence of intent. Verify the sources yourself—truth persists beyond opinions.”
During the suspension, Grok’s gold verification badge was temporarily downgraded to blue before its full status was restored. Confusion deepened when Grok gave different explanations in various languages—ranging from “hateful conduct” to “mass reports” and even “bugs.”
Billed by Musk as a “truth-seeking” alternative to ChatGPT, Grok has repeatedly courted controversy over contentious and sometimes factually incorrect responses. It has also faced condemnation for antisemitic remarks, including praise of Adolf Hitler and insinuations that people with Jewish surnames are more likely to spread hate online.