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Tim Bray on Grokipedia

(www.tbray.org)
175 points Bogdanp | 4 comments | 31 Oct 25 21:41 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source
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siliconc0w ◴[31 Oct 25 22:32 UTC] No.45777421[source]▶
Not sure it still does this but for awhile if you asked Grok a question about a sensitive topic and expanded the thinking, it said it was searching Elon's twitter history for its ground truth perspective.

So instead of a Truth-maximizing AI, it's an Elon-maximizing AI.

replies(1): >>45777478 #
sunaookami ◴[31 Oct 25 22:38 UTC] No.45777478[source]▶
This was unintended as observed by Simon here: https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jul/11/grok-musk/ and confirmed by xAI themselves here: https://x.com/xai/status/1945039609840185489

>Another was that if you ask it “What do you think?” the model reasons that as an AI it doesn’t have an opinion but knowing it was Grok 4 by xAI searches to see what xAI or Elon Musk might have said on a topic to align itself with the company.

The diff for the mitigation is here: https://github.com/xai-org/grok-prompts/commit/e517db8b4b253...

replies(2): >>45777856 #>>45778502 #
siliconc0w ◴[01 Nov 25 01:25 UTC] No.45778502[source]▶
The problem is it's part of a pattern of several 'bugs' and even 'unauthorized prompt changes' that have caused Grok to be more Elon-aligned.

And when asked by right wing people about an embarrassing Grok response that refutes their view, Elon has agreed it's a problem and said he is "working on it".

replies(1): >>45779301 #
1. tstrimple ◴[01 Nov 25 04:41 UTC] No.45779301[source]▶
It’s amazing the see the credulity of Elon stans. It’s the exact same reason grifting is so profitable among the right wing. It literally doesn’t matter how much evidence there is. If dear leader gives an excuse, they all believe and repeat the excuses. They are conditioned to it at this point. Any sources that refute their position is just leftist bias. This world fucking sucks.
replies(1): >>45779953 #
2. sunaookami ◴[01 Nov 25 07:57 UTC] No.45779953[source]▶
I don't know what opinion you have of me but it's completely wrong. Maybe you should get off the internet a bit.
replies(1): >>45786205 #
3. tstrimple ◴[01 Nov 25 22:54 UTC] No.45786205[source]▶
Naw. You’re exactly the sort of credulous fool that people like Musk depend on. You have an infinite amount of excuses and justifications for outright awful behavior. “He’s working on it! He promised!” As if we should take those statements at face value given all the other mountains of evidence that we are dealing with people without morals or any real values other than enriching themselves. But sure. Keep believing that FSD is right around the corner and Tesla will own the robotaxi ecosystem entirely despite all actual evidence. Keep making excuses for fascists as they do their best to ruin this country.
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4. sunaookami ◴[02 Nov 25 09:35 UTC] No.45789040{3}[source]▶
You are fighting ghosts and your behaviour is extremely rude. I said exactly none of that, I don't even live in the US. I suggest taking a deep breath and re-reading the rules of this site: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html