A Letter from Secretaries of State to Elon Musk
An open letter has been penned by five secretaries of state, addressing concerns about the spread of misinformation on X, formerly known as Twitter. The letter, spearheaded by Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and signed by his counterparts Al Schmidt of Pennsylvania, Steve Hobbs of Washington, Jocelyn Benson of Michigan, and Maggie Toulouse Oliver of New Mexico, urges Elon Musk to implement changes to X’s AI search assistant, Grok.
The Misinformation
According to the letter, within hours of President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would suspend his presidential bid, Grok began answering questions about Vice President Kamala Harris’ eligibility with a misleading claim. The chatbot stated that the ballot deadlines had passed in nine states: Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
However, the ballot deadlines hadn’t actually passed. The misinformation spread far and wide, reaching millions of users on X and beyond before it was corrected on July 31, as per the letter.
The Issue with Grok
While Grok is only available to X Premium and Premium+ subscribers and includes a disclaimer asking users to verify information, the false information about ballot deadlines has been captured and shared repeatedly in multiple posts. The secretaries of state wrote: "While Grok is only available toX Premium and Premium+subscribers and includes a disclaimer asking users to verify information, the false information about ballot deadlines has been captured and shared repeatedly in multiple posts."
A History of Misinformation
Musk has come under fire for how X has handled moderating political topics. Data suggests that X has significantly fewer moderation staff than other platforms, partly as a consequence of Musk cutting an estimated 80% of the company’s engineers dedicated to trust and safety.
In fact, earlier this year, X promised to establish a new trust and safety center of excellence in Austin, Texas. However, the company ended up hiring far fewer moderators for the center than initially projected, according to Bloomberg.
Elon Musk: A History of Misinformation
Musk hasn’t exactly been a poster child for fact-checking. The CEO last Friday re-shared a video that seemingly went against his platform’s own guidelines. The video used AI to clone Harris’ voice, making her appear to admit to being a ‘diversity hire’ and saying that she ‘doesn’t know the first thing about running the country.’
Furthermore, Musk posted: "civil war is inevitable" in response to riots across the U.K. sparked by the murder of three girls last week and the spread of misinformation about the perpetrator. This prompted the U.K.’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, to issue a sharp condemnation.
The Impact on X
The spread of misinformation through Grok has had significant consequences for X. The platform’s ability to moderate political topics effectively is now under scrutiny. With significantly fewer moderation staff than other platforms and a history of spreading misinformation, it’s no wonder that the secretaries of state are calling for change.
What’s Next for X?
As the 2024 U.S. presidential elections approach, the need for accurate information on social media platforms has never been more pressing. The secretaries of state are urging Musk to implement changes to Grok and ensure that voters have access to reliable information.
Only time will tell if Elon Musk will take this call to action seriously and make the necessary changes to prevent the spread of misinformation through X’s AI chatbot, Grok.
Conclusion
The spread of misinformation on social media platforms is a pressing concern in today’s digital age. With the rise of AI-powered chatbots like Grok, it’s more important than ever that platforms take steps to ensure that users have access to accurate information.
As we approach the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, the need for reliable information has never been more pressing. Will Elon Musk listen to the secretaries of state and make the necessary changes to prevent the spread of misinformation through X’s AI chatbot, Grok? Only time will tell.
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