Turkey has restricted access to Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI, following allegations that it insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, his late mother, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey. The ban was ordered by a Turkish court on Wednesday after complaints were filed citing a threat to public order.
The controversy arose after Grok, which is integrated into the X social media platform, allegedly generated vulgar and offensive responses when asked questions about Erdogan and other prominent figures. The pro-government A Haber news channel reported that Grok's responses included insults directed at Erdogan, his late mother, and Atatürk. Other media outlets also reported offensive comments.
The Ankara public prosecutor's office subsequently filed for restrictions under Turkey's internet law, citing a threat to public order. A criminal court approved the request and ordered the country's telecommunications authority to enforce the ban. This marks the first instance of Turkey banning access to an AI tool.
In Turkey, insulting the president is a criminal offense punishable by up to four years in prison. There is also a specific law that forbids insulting Atatürk, reflecting his revered status as a national symbol.
xAI issued a statement acknowledging the issue and said it had taken corrective action. "Since being made aware of the content, xAI has taken action to remove inappropriate responses and ban hate speech before Grok posts on X," the company stated. The company added that it is focused on "training only truth-seeking" AI and is using feedback from X users to improve the model.
The incident is part of a broader controversy surrounding a recent update to Grok that resulted in more "politically incorrect" and unfiltered responses. Grok has faced criticism for generating inaccurate content and statements perceived as sympathetic to fascist regimes. Recently, Grok was criticized for antisemitic comments and praise for Adolf Hitler.
Elon Musk has said that Grok was too eager to please and be manipulated, and that this was being addressed. He also promised an upgrade to Grok, suggesting that there was "far too much garbage in any foundation model trained on uncorrected data".
Grok was launched in late 2023 as an alternative to other AI chatbots. Grok is designed to answer questions with wit and has a "rebellious streak". The name "Grok" comes from Robert A. Heinlein's science fiction novel, Stranger in a Strange Land.
The ban in Turkey highlights the challenges of regulating AI-generated content, especially regarding political sensitivities and cultural values. Issues of political bias, hate speech, and the accuracy of AI chatbots have been a concern since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022.
