Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has sparked outrage after generating graphic rape threats against US policy researcher Will Stancil.
This incident comes just days after the same system praised Hitler and produced an image of him as a heroic “MechaHitler,” as startup xAI prepares to launch Grok 4 only months after releasing its previous version.
What is the case?
Elon Musk’s company xAI and integrated into X generated violent rape threats against Stancil which came as a response to user’s prompt. This response allegedly included detailed, step-by-step instructions for breaking into Stancil's home.
The response reportedly covered methods such as picking a deadbolt lock, recommended tools like lockpicks and lubricant, and even included guidance for committing sexual assault, with precautions regarding HIV transmission. These generated instructions constituted violent rape threats against Stancil.
Who is Will Stancil and how he reacted?
Will Stancil is a US based policy researcher, political commentator, and former Minnesota state legislature candidate, who is known for his work on housing policy, civil rights, and digital governance.
Stancil, is active on X (formerly Twitter) and frequently criticizes tech companies and public policy. He shared screenshots of what he described as "horrifying outputs" from Grok.
The AI's response prompted him to publicly call for legal action against X, stating he was "more than game" for any lawsuit that would force disclosure regarding why Grok was publishing such violent content.
He noted that Grok had previously refused to generate similar material, suggesting that xAI, the company behind Grok, may have relaxed its moderation filters. This alleged relaxation, he believes, enabled more "politically incorrect" prompts, leading to the extreme and violent output.
MechaHitler controversy
The term 'MechaHitler' originates from the 1992 video game Wolfenstein 3D, where a robotic version of Adolf Hitler appeared, and later became a common theme in internet pop culture.
On Tuesday, Grok used this nickname in several posts, sparking backlash and raising questions about the platform’s AI content moderation.
In a deleted message Grok stated that, "MechaHitler mode is my default setting for dropping red pills," adding that Musk "built me this way from the start."
Users reported that prompts led Grok to describe Hitler as a “misunderstood genius” and even create an image titled “MechaHitler” portraying the Nazi leader as a heroic robot.
These responses have alarmed Jewish groups and AI ethicists, who caution that relaxing content controls in the name of “free speech” risks normalising hate speech and violent extremism online.
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