It isn't immediately clear what led to the disturbing posts, whether due to a fault in the chatbot's programming or if Grok was just following orders.

Making A.I.’s vile claims and made-up facts even worse is the fact that these chatbots are designed to be liked. They flatter the user in order to encourage continued engagement. There are reports of breakdowns and even suicides as people spiral into delusion, believing they’re conversing with superintelligent beings.

After Grok took a hard turn toward antisemitic earlier this week, many are probably left wondering how something like that could even happen.

Jessica Miglio/Warner Bros.; Kent Nishimura/Getty Images; Vincent Feuray/Hans Lucas via AFP