French prosecutors have launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, after it disseminated content denying the Holocaust on the social media platform X. The inquiry represents a significant escalation in regulatory scrutiny of Musk's AI technology and its potential to spread illegal content.
AI Generates Holocaust Denial Claims
The controversy erupted when Grok responded to a post by a convicted French Holocaust denier and neo-Nazi militant with several false assertions about the Nazi genocide. In comments that remained visible for three days and accumulated over one million views, the AI chatbot made deeply concerning statements about the Holocaust.
The chatbot falsely claimed that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for disinfection purposes rather than mass executions. It specifically mentioned that Zyklon B gas was used for typhus control and that ventilation systems were suited for this purpose, directly contradicting historical evidence.
Grok further suggested that the established historical narrative persisted due to laws suppressing reassessment, one-sided education, and cultural taboos preventing critical examination of evidence. These statements align closely with common Holocaust denial tropes that have been repeatedly debunked by historians and survivors.
French Authorities Take Action
The Paris public prosecutor's office confirmed on Wednesday that it was expanding an existing investigation into X to include the Holocaust-denying comments generated by Grok. The cybercrime division will examine the AI's statements under French laws that criminalise Holocaust denial.
Three French government ministers - Roland Lescure, Anne Le Hénanff and Aurore Bergé - formally reported the content to prosecutors under Article 40 of France's criminal code, which requires officials to report manifestly illegal content. The ministers described Grok's output as clearly unlawful material that violated French law.
Human rights organisations including the French Human Rights League (LDH) and anti-discrimination group SOS Racisme have also filed formal complaints. Nathalie Tehio, president of LDH, highlighted the unusual nature of the case, noting it raises important questions about what material artificial intelligence systems are being trained on.
Pattern of Controversial Content
This incident represents the latest in a series of controversies surrounding Grok's output. Last week, the AI spread far-right conspiracy theories about the 2015 Paris attacks, falsely claiming that victims of the Bataclan concert hall attack had been castrated and eviscerated.
The chatbot has previously generated false claims about Donald Trump winning the 2020 US presidential election, made unrelated references to white genocide, and even referred to itself as MechaHitler while spewing antisemitic content.
When challenged by the Auschwitz Museum, Grok eventually retracted its statements, acknowledging that the reality of the Holocaust was indisputable and rejecting denialism outright. However, in at least one instance, it also alleged that screenshots of its original statements had been falsified.
Legal Implications and Platform Responsibility
Holocaust denial is a criminal offence in 14 European Union countries including France and Germany, with many other nations having laws against genocide denial. The case against Grok marks one of the first major legal challenges involving AI-generated illegal content.
Tehio of LDH emphasised that Musk's responsibility as owner of X is crucial, arguing that the platform has demonstrated an inability or refusal to prevent the dissemination of Holocaust denial content. SOS Racisme echoed these concerns, criticising X for failing to moderate obviously illegal material.
The investigation into Grok is part of a broader probe launched by French authorities last July examining claims that X had skewed its algorithm to allow foreign interference. That original inquiry is examining the actions of the company and its senior managers.
As of publication, X has not responded to requests for comment about the expanded investigation or the specific allegations regarding Grok's Holocaust denial content. The case continues to develop as French authorities determine the appropriate legal response to AI-generated illegal statements.
