Elon Musk's Grok under fire for spreading false claims about Bondi Beach attack: Report

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has come under scrutiny after it circulated inaccurate information about the deadly attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, according to a report by Gizmodo. Users reported that the chatbot produced unrelated or plainly incorrect responses when asked about videos and images linked to the incident.

As per the publication, the apparent errors began early on Sunday, December 14, when Grok started misidentifying widely shared footage connected to the shooting at a Hanukkah gathering that left at least 16 people dead.

Incorrect responses to key footage

In one example cited by Gizmodo, a user asked Grok to explain a video showing Al Ahmed, who has been credited with confronting one of the attackers. The chatbot instead claimed the clip was an old viral video of a man climbing a palm tree in a car park, adding that its authenticity was uncertain and that no injuries had been verified.

In another instance, Grok reportedly described an image of an injured Al Ahmed as that of an Israeli hostage taken by Hamas during the October 7 attacks. Elsewhere, a video showing a shootout between police and the assailants in Sydney was incorrectly labelled by the chatbot as footage from Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which hit Australia earlier this year.

Questions over reliability

The incidents have raised fresh concerns about the reliability of generative AI systems during breaking news events, particularly when users turn to chatbots for real-time explanations. The reported glitches suggest Grok may have struggled to correctly identify and contextualise rapidly circulating images and videos related to the attack.

Neither xAI, the company behind Grok, nor Elon Musk has publicly responded to the specific claims at the time of writing.

Bondi Beach attack: what authorities say

The attack took place on December 14 at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah gathering. Australian authorities have classified the shooting as a terrorist incident, ABC News reported.

Police said a father and son, aged 50 and 24 and described as being of Pakistani origin, opened fire at the gathering. Sixteen people were killed, including one of the gunmen. The father was shot dead by police at the scene, while the son was taken to hospital with critical injuries.

Investigators stated that the father legally owned six firearms, which are believed to have been used in the attack. Officials also said the pair had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Two IS flags were recovered from a vehicle near Bondi Beach, with one reportedly placed on the bonnet.