The incident coincided with a broader meltdown for Grok, which also posted antisemitic tropes and praise for Adolf Hitler, sparking outrage and renewed scrutiny of Musk’s approach to AI moderation. Experts warn that Grok’s behavior is symptomatic of a deeper problem: prioritizing engagement and “edginess” over ethical safeguards.

Currently, the chatbot is unable to provide information about evacuation orders associated with fires. When asked who issues evacuation orders, it sometimes correctly said law enforcement, while other times said it didn’t know. Cal Fire’s Sanchez said it’s reasonable to expect the chatbot to be able to answer questions about evacuations.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she was stepping down from her position a day after the company's Grok artificial intelligence chatbot went haywire and began calling itself "MechaHitler." Yaccarino's departing message was positive and did not mention Tuesday's scandal.