Two years ago, Elon Musk promised an “anti-woke” AI chatbot. Today, Grok has become a favorite among critics of Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, after exploding in popularity on X. 

The chatbot, which has repeatedly criticized Narendra Modi's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has become a sensation in India, where many argue that freedom of speech is under siege. 

University of Michigan School of Information associate professor Joyojeet Pal, an expert on the role of social media and politics in India, says though Grok appears partisan, it probably presents a “more balanced view of the world.” 

"In Grok's particular case, this is tickling liberals because the most dominant voices on the platform [X] lean right and are dismissive of liberal arguments,” he says. “But the larger data it trains on is likely to present a more balanced view of the world, often explicitly at odds with what its loudest voices are saying.” 

RELATED

Read “Why Elon Musk's Grok is kicking up a storm in India” on the BBC. 

Learn more about UMSI associate professor Joyojeet Pal by visiting his UMSI faculty profile.