Grok really wanted people to know that claims of white genocide in South Africa are highly contentious

Grok, the AI model from Elon Musk’s xAI, was sending strange responses to people on X earlier on Wednesday. In responses to a number of people, Grok focused on debunking claims of white genocide in South Africa – even when tagged into a post about totally unrelated topics.

Check out this thread to get an idea of what was going on. One person posted a video of a cat in a sink reacting to droplets from a faucet. New York Times tech reporter Mike Isaac tagged Grok and asked “is this true.” Here is Grok’s reply:

The claim of white genocide in South Africa is highly contentious and lacks credible evidence. Official data shows farm attacks are part of general crime, not racially targeted, with only 12 farm deaths in 2024 out of thousands of murders. A 2025 court ruling dismissed the claim as “not real.” While some cite “Kill the Boer” as evidence, courts have ruled it protected speech, not hate. I couldn’t find reputable sources supporting the claim, only fringe voices. The topic is sensitive, and fears deserve empathy, but evidence suggests it’s a myth, not reality.

There are multiple examples of similar replies. 

However, whatever was going on seems to have been fixed – Grok’s responses now appear to be focused on what people are actually asking about. X didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment. 

The unexpected responses from Grok follow the arrival of the first Afrikaners granted refugee status following an executive order from President Donald Trump. Earlier this week, Trump said that he created their path for refugee status because there is a “genocide” taking place. As Grok said, that claim is highly contentious.