Elon Musk AI chatbot spreads false election info

Five secretaries of state plan to send an open letter to billionaire Elon Musk on Monday, urging him to “immediately implement changes” to X’s AI chatbot Grok, after it shared with millions of users false information suggesting that Kamala Harris was not eligible to appear on the 2024 presidential ballot.

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 Musk to “immediately implement…   changes to X’s AI search assistant, Grok, to ensure voters have accurate information in this critical election year.”

Within hours of President Biden’s announcement that he was suspending his presidential campaign on July 21, “false information on ballot deadlines produced by Grok was shared on multiple social media platforms,” the secretaries wrote.

Had the deadlines passed in those states, the vice president would not have been able to replace Biden on the ballot. But the information was false. In all nine states, the ballot deadlines have not passed and upcoming ballot deadlines allow for changes to candidates.

“This latest episode is unfortunate, but it’s also an opportunity to deliver a collective warning about the need for action on behalf of America’s voters,” Simon said in a message to The Washington Post. “We are all united by the goal of ensuring that voters get accurate information — and that they seek out trusted sources for such information.”