What Next: TBD | When Bots Go Nazi

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4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 July 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s kind of strange that Grok, Elon Musk’s chatbot, went full Nazi a few weeks ago, and is just…still out there. But, then again, how are you supposed to hold an LLM accountable? Guest: Drew Harwell, technology reporter for the Washington Post Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh, that's my prime delivery.
0:01.6	What, already?
0:02.7	Only one thing can match the buzz of Prime's fast delivery.
0:06.2	And that's the buzz of Prime's entertainment.
0:09.0	What are we watching?
0:09.7	Heads of state, that new action comedy with Idris Elber as the Prime Minister,
0:13.3	John Sina as the president, and Prianka Chopra Jonas,
0:15.9	as their only hope.
0:17.0	It looks like a blast.
0:18.3	From fast delivery to explosive entertainment, it's on Prime. For only
0:23.0	899 a month, join now. Content includes limited ads, subscription, or to renews. For more information,
0:28.2	go to amazon.com.uk.U.K. slash prime.
0:30.8	Hey, everyone. It's Lizzie. Just a little heads up that in this episode, we are talking about
0:36.1	Nazi bots. So take care when listening.
0:39.8	Here's the show.
0:44.8	I don't know how you spent your Fourth of July holiday, but Grock, Elon Musk's AI chatbot,
0:51.9	spent its holiday being a real jerk online.
0:55.7	Musk had told users about an update to the model, and oh boy.
1:00.3	It basically turned Grok into a anti-Semitic, Hitler-praising, mecca Hitler-style monster.
1:13.0	Drew Harwell covers tech for the Washington Post, and he was watching all of this go down.
1:17.7	A lot of people started noticing this because you could reply to basically summon Grog on the X and ask them whatever you wanted.
1:25.9	And Grock was responding to many people with this kind of anti-Semitic bile.
	...

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