Secretaries of state urge Musk to fix AI chatbot spreading false election info

The Washington Post ^ | Mon, August 5, 2024 | Sarah Ellison and Amy Gardner

[MinorityRepublican]

Five secretaries of state plan to send an open letter to billionaire Elon Musk on Monday, urging him to “immediately implement changes” to X’s AI chatbot Grok, after it shared with millions of users false information suggesting that Kamala Harris was not eligible to appear on the 2024 presidential ballot.

The letter, spearheaded by Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and signed by his counterparts Al Schmidt of Pennsylvania, Steve Hobbs of Washington, Jocelyn Benson of Michigan and Maggie Toulouse Oliver of New Mexico, urges Musk to “immediately implement changes to X’s AI search assistant, Grok, to ensure voters have accurate information in this critical election year.”

Within hours of President Biden’s announcement that he was suspending his presidential campaign on July 21, “false information on ballot deadlines produced by Grok was shared on multiple social media platforms,” the secretaries wrote.

The secretaries cited a post from Grok that circulated after Biden stepped out of the race: “The ballot deadline has passed for several states for the 2024 election,” the post read, naming nine states: Alabama, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.

Had the deadlines passed in those states, the vice president would not have been able to replace Biden on the ballot. But the information was false. In all nine states, the ballot deadlines have not passed and upcoming ballot deadlines allow for changes to candidates.

“This latest episode is unfortunate, but it’s also an opportunity to deliver a collective warning about the need for action on behalf of America’s voters,” Simon said in a message to The Washington Post.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Sorry guys..it aintain’t twitter anymore..

[TornadoAlley3]

Tik Tok bill passed with bipartisan support. Gives the President power to shut down anything he deems a threat to our national security. Will he shut down X?

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Hey..it’s democracy..anything is ok if it’s for democracy

[Reno89519]

This seems silly as states have changed their deadlines to accommodate the late date of the Democrat convention. Even Republican states. This is such a non-issue.

Shall we instead discuss her constitutional eligibility?

[MinorityRepublican]

Tik Tok bill passed with bipartisan support. Gives the President power to shut down anything he deems a threat to our national security. Will he shut down X?

Yes.

[doc maverick]

They’ll go after anyone aligned with Trump. I’m not surprised.

[markman46]

So state secretary of states can tell musk to fix the AI of Twitter to suppress free speech eh..

[Kathy in OC]

Why have states had to change anything? This years DNC date isn’t later than usual.

[Steely Tom]

Anything I disagree with is a lie.

[Reno89519]

Not the latest, but I think states have moved up the closing date to print ballots. Early voting is getting earlier as well.

• 2024, August 19-22
• 2020, August 17-20
• 2016, July 25-28
• 2012, September 4-6
• 2008, August 25-28
• 2004, July 26-29
• 2000, August 14-17
• 1996, August 26-29
• 1992, July 13-16
• 1988, July 18-21

[FreedomForce]

Yep, more lawfare against Elon Musk, I bet.

[DoodleBob]

The letter, spearheaded by Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and signed by his counterparts Al Schmidt of Pennsylvania, Steve Hobbs of Washington, Jocelyn Benson of Michigan and Maggie Toulouse Oliver of New Mexico, urges Musk to “immediately implement changes to X’s AI search assistant, Grok, to ensure voters have accurate information in this critical election year are forced to consume mainstream media, so THEY can maintain their decades-old monopoly on misinformation and disinformation.”

[caww]

You can't control false information anywhere...not possible. Otherwise journalist's wouldn’t be spreading their crap as they do. Networks would be held to a higher standard than currently.

Their just going after Musk again.......they so much want to control “X”.

[Recompennation]

Right thimk* 1984. Except these democrat humans, if you call them that, are doing it not the AI.

[falcon99]

Uh, prove that it is misinformation and not just information that Democrats don’t like or don’t agree with — which is the case most of the time Democrats say something is misinformation.

[SteveH]

no standing. kamala should file a complaint in civil court but she also has no standing since first she has to assert she is a natural born citizen. jmho.

[TexasFreeper2009]

like black nazi or black founding fathers?

LMAO

[wetgundog]

All Communist Sluts, even the High estrogen males. FKH!

[Antioch]

Hello….Musk’s ai chatbot is called GROX not Grok which leads me to believe money loser Washington Compost is using ai to write its articles because it cant afford journalists.