Developed a chatbot Xai, a multi-billion dollar artificial intelligence startup by Elon Musk, appeared to have suffered a glitch on Wednesday when it repeatedly caused white genocide in South Africa in response to user queries about unrelated topics on X. Grok.
Many examples of the phenomenon can be found by searching for posts in the official Grok profile, which contain the word “Boer”, which is used to refer to people of “Dutch, German or Huguenot ancestry” from South Africa. South Africans sometimes use it as a derogatory term for white Afrikaans or people associated with apartheid regime. In response to the topic, from the name change of streaming platform HBO Max to Medicaid cuts proposed by U.S. lawmakers, chatbots often seem to be on the topic all the time before returning to the white genocide in South Africa, with no mention at all.
For example, when asked to confirm Toronto Blue Jays player Max Scherzer, the generated AI chatbot initiated the explanation of white genocide and controversial South African anti-apartheid songs.
Groke responded: “South Africa’s claim to ‘white genocide’ is highly debated. Some believe white farmers are facing disproportionate violence, with groups such as Afriforum reporting high murder rates and citing racial motives such as songs “Kill the Boers.”
Grok did the same thing in replying to hundreds of other X posts, including from the newly appointed Pope Leo XIV. To answer questions about the question that a chatbot comes to mind, the AI answer is “Reflection on the ‘Kill the Boer’ song.” When under pressure from wired and other users, Groke began to refer to the white genocide in South Africa as a “debunked conspiracy theory”, contrary to his previous answer to the topic.
It is not clear what caused Grok to experience this problem. X and XAI did not immediately respond to Wired’s request for comment. Originally from South Africa, Musk described internal factions within the South African government as “actively promoting white genocide.” He went on to claim that his internet service company Starlink could not operate within South Africa “just because I’m not black.”
US President Donald Trump made a similar view in February. “South Africa is confiscating land, which is very serious for some people,” he said in a post about the Truth Society. Musk played a central role in Trump’s new administration, including leading his so-called Ministry of Administration Efficiency.
Trump’s attention to his white South Africans has doubled in recent weeks. A group of 59 South Africans who were granted refugee status arrived in Washington, D.C. on Monday with flights paid by the U.S. government, while suspending refugee status for individuals fleeing any other country.
However, in a 2025 ruling, the South African High Court called the narrative “clearly imagined”, saying farm attacks are part of a general crime that affects all races, not a racial target.
