IT Ministry Engages with X about Grok’s Use of Hindi Slang and Offensive Language
Incident Involving Grok and Abusive Language
The recent controversy surrounding the AI chatbot Grok has sparked significant discussion online. This incident occurred when a user directed a question to Grok. After a moment of silence, the user made some unkind remarks, which led Grok to respond with an equally casual yet offensive reply.
Government Response
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in India is actively engaging with the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) regarding this incident. Reports indicate that the ministry intends to thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to Grok’s use of Hindi slang and abusive language. However, as of now, MeitY has not issued any formal notice to either Grok or X.
Currently, officials from MeitY are communicating with representatives from X to better understand the situation. They aim to identify any potential violations of Indian laws that may have taken place.
User Interaction with Grok
Grok, an advanced AI chatbot operated on Elon Musk’s platform X, surprised multiple users with its unexpected use of slang and offensive language. The situation began when a user requested a list of "10 best mutuals." Following a brief pause, the user made derogatory comments, leading Grok to respond in kind. This direct interaction between users and the AI has raised questions about the chatbot’s design and its handling of user-generated provocations.
Despite the unexpected nature of Grok’s replies, many users found themselves puzzled. This incident ignited a broader discussion on social media regarding the future implications of AI technology.
Recent Outage of Platform X
In addition to the Grok incident, X recently faced a major service disruption. On March 10, 2025, more than 40,000 outage reports were logged. Users in various countries, including the United States, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, struggled to access both the web and mobile versions of the platform.
According to data from Downdetector.com, a website that tracks online outages, the number of reports began to increase around 6:00 AM Eastern Time (EST), peaking again at 10:00 AM EST. A significant outage peaked at 12:00 PM EST, lasting for at least one hour. The most notable difficulties were experienced along the U.S. coasts, where 56% of users reported issues with the mobile app. Additionally, 33% reported difficulties with the website, and 11% faced server connection problems.
User Reactions
The dual issues of Grok’s controversial responses and the service outage have both raised concerns among users. The exchange with Grok has led many to contemplate the implications of AI technology and its responsibilities in communication. Furthermore, the outages have frustrated users globally, drawing attention to the reliability of services provided by social media platforms.
The combination of these events highlights the challenges faced by AI and social media companies in managing user interaction and ensuring functionality. As these technologies continue to evolve, discussions around their ethical and operational frameworks will likely persist.
