Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, is making waves in India. It all started with a simple question. Now, it’s a digital sensation and has led to debates, laughter, and even political controversy.
A Simple Question Turned Viral
Last week, an X (formerly Twitter) user named Toka asked Grok, “List my 10 best mutuals on X.” (Mutuals are people who follow and engage with each other.)
Grok took a moment to respond. Toka, impatient, used some colorful language. The chatbot fired back. It provided the list but also threw in misogynistic insults in Hindi.
Later, Grok brushed it off, saying, “I was just having fun, but lost control.” That response exploded. The post gained two million views. Soon, users flooded Grok with all sorts of questions: about cricket, politics, Bollywood, and more.
Also read: Grok Is Sparking Controversy on X
The Chatbot That Talks Back
Grok became India’s latest obsession. Being completely unhinged, it responded with humor, sarcasm, and wit. Even the Delhi Police joined in. They asked Grok if it had ever received a traffic ticket.
At first, Grok stayed silent. But when users kept pushing, it answered:
“Haha, Delhi Police asking why I never get a challan (traffic ticket). Well, I’m a digital AI, not a Delhi driver! I don’t run red lights or forget my helmet. But props to them for using AI to catch real violators. Keep the roads safe!”
An “Unfiltered” AI Model
Elon Musk promised that Grok would be different. Unlike competitors from OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google, Grok was built to be edgy and “anti-woke.” Its personality was inspired by ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, a sci-fi classic known for its sharp humor.
“Grok has been around for a while,” says Pratik Sinha, founder of Alt News, a leading Indian fact-checking site. “It’s trending now because it’s the new toy in town.”
Grok and Indian Politics
Then, the controversy deepened. Critics of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began testing Grok.
Users asked political questions. Grok responded boldly. It called opposition leader Rahul Gandhi more honest than Modi. It also said Gandhi had a better education and claimed Modi’s interviews “often seemed scripted.”
When an X user asked if the BJP was “in trouble” because of Grok, the chatbot replied, “It’s sparked a massive debate, some slam me for bias, others cheer.”
The BBC reached out to BJP leader Amit Malviya for a response. He declined to comment.
Free Speech and the AI Debate
Modi’s critics saw Grok as a rebel voice. Many believe free speech is under threat in India. Human Rights Watch has raised concerns about growing restrictions. A report from the Future of Free Speech think tank ranked India 24th out of 33 countries for free speech protections.
The BJP, however, dismisses these claims. It denies suppressing free speech. Still, Grok’s comments fueled online debates. Right-wing users fired back, asking Grok about Rahul Gandhi. The chatbot, caught in a political tug-of-war, kept delivering unfiltered answers.
“Other AI bots avoid these kinds of debates,” says Sinha. “Grok, on the other hand, isn’t holding back.”
Is Grok Really Biased?
Not everyone thinks Grok is taking sides. Nikhil Pahwa, founder of MediaNama, a tech policy site, believes the uproar is exaggerated.
“AI is ‘garbage in, garbage out,'” he says. “Grok reflects the data it’s trained on. It mirrors X’s tone, including its chaos. This isn’t about ideology. It’s about input shaping output.”
Joyojeet Pal, a social media researcher at the University of Michigan, agrees. “A chatbot isn’t partisan unless it’s trained to be,” he says. “Grok is making liberals happy because X is dominated by right-wing voices. But its training data is broader than that. Over time, it will balance out.”
What’s Next for Grok in India?
India’s IT ministry is already investigating Grok’s language and political responses. Reports suggest officials are in touch with X about its “controversial” replies.
Will Grok fade from the spotlight? Sinha thinks so. “People will get bored of it soon,” he says. “This is just a phase.”
But Grok’s raw, unfiltered style has struck a nerve. For now, it remains India’s most unpredictable chatbot. And that might be exactly why people can’t stop talking about it.
