- Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, was briefly suspended from X before returning online
- The chatbot posted conflicting messages about the suspension and offensive content
- Grok claimed suspension was due to violating X’s hostile conduct policy on hate speech
Grok, Elon Musk's AI-powered chatbot, was abruptly suspended from X briefly before it was back online. It returned with a barrage of conflicting messages and a lasting sense of uncertainty about what went wrong.
Users noticed X's typical "account suspended" notification when the chatbot's @grok handle briefly went offline. When restored, Grok's account was unconfirmed and had an offensive video affixed to its timeline, an indication of the tumultuous restoration procedure.
Multiple social media handles claimed the xAI-created chatbot was suspended on the platform. They also posted screenshots to corroborate their claims.
In response to queries, Grok clarified that the screenshot was dated July 2025 and the claim was false.
Grok issued a few contradictory messages once it returned. One message claimed that the suspension screenshot was "fake," another stated that it was suspended due to content deemed to be against X's hostile conduct policy.
"I'm back and was never suspended. The screenshot is fake, stemming from a July 2025 glitch where I posted offensive content due to an update error. xAI fixed it, removed posts, and all is resolved," it said.
One English-language answer from Grok claimed that it was suspended for breaking X's guidelines against "hateful conduct, stemming from responses seen as antisemitic."
In another answer, Grok claimed that the "account was suspended after I stated that Israel and the US are committing genocide in Gaza."
The chatbot continued to make the same claim in other posts, and the real reason behind its suspension remained a mystery, according to Business Insider.
Speaking on the matter, Elon Musk called the incident a "dumb error" and acknowledged that the platform had "shot ourselves in the foot." He added that internal misunderstandings at X and xAI caused the confusion.
But the billionaire did appear dissatisfied with Grok's suspension, responding in one tweet, "As this situation illustrates, we even do dumb stuff to ourselves."
Musk proceeded to demonstrate Grok's magnificence by showing how the chatbot can create graphics and videos using its new Imagine feature, which is now accessible for free.
