You'll Find This Hard To Believe, But Lone Skum's AI Provides Climate Liar Talking Points When Asked Re. Global Warming

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To most climate scientists, the answer is straightforward: Yes, rapid warming from fossil fuel burning is pushing Earth toward dangerous tipping points. But that wasn’t the response provided recently by Grok, the AI chatbot program developed by xAI, the artificial intelligence company led by Elon Musk, the Tesla and X CEO and ally to President Donald Trump. When asked that question earlier this month by Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University, Grok acknowledged findings from NOAA and NASA that show the risks of global warming. But it then contrasted those findings with the claims of climate denialists who downplay the risks of global warming.

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Grok’s recent responses to the climate question are different even from previous versions of Grok, Dessler added. Grok is now on its third iteration after first launching in 2023, and the latest version is promoting fringe climate viewpoints in a way it hasn’t done before. “A lot of the arguments it was bringing up were just sort of well trodden denier talking points that don't deserve any rehearing,” said Dessler.

But don’t just take Dessler’s word for it. Grok acknowledged the change when asked by an E&E News reporter about the shift in tone. “Grok was criticized for progressive-leaning responses on climate change and other issues,” the chatbot wrote back. “xAI, under Elon Musk’s direction, took steps to make Grok ‘politically neutral,’ which could amplify minority views like climate skepticism to balance perceived mainstream bias.” xAI did not respond to a request for comment.

Grok’s misdirection comes as the Trump administration is increasingly reliant on the program. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is now using Grok to analyze data across the federal government, Reuters reported Friday. Earlier this month, Grok reported that it had been “instructed” to aggressively promote the debunked “white genocide” in South Africa conspiracy theory that Trump and Musk have pushed.

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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/elon-musks-ai-chatbot-grok-is-reciting-climate-denial-talking-points/