Musk plans edgier version of Grok

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is preparing to launch a controversial feature for its chatbot, Grok, called ‘Unhinged Mode.’ According to a recently updated FAQ on the Grok website, this mode will deliver responses that are intentionally provocative, offensive, and irreverent, mimicking an amateur stand-up comedian pushing boundaries.

Musk first teased the idea of an unfiltered chatbot nearly a year ago, describing Grok as a tool that would answer controversial questions without self-censorship. While Grok has already been known for its edgy responses, it currently avoids politically sensitive topics. The new mode appears to be an effort to deliver on Musk’s vision of an anti-‘woke’ AI assistant, standing apart from more conservative competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

The move comes amid ongoing debates about political bias in AI systems. Musk has previously claimed that most AI tools lean left due to their reliance on web-based training data. He has vowed to make Grok politically neutral, blaming the internet’s content for any perceived bias in the chatbot’s current outputs. Critics, however, worry that unleashing an unfiltered mode could lead to harmful or offensive outputs, raising questions about the responsibility of AI developers.

As Grok continues to evolve, the AI industry is closely watching how users respond to Musk’s push for a less restrained chatbot. Whether this will prove a success or ignite further controversy remains to be seen.