In the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death, false claims and conspiracy theories proliferated on social media, fueled by AI tools. CBS News reported that Grok, an AI chatbot, misidentified the suspect as Tyler Robinson before confirming his identity. Grok’s incorrect posts included manipulated images that distorted features and clothing. After the suspect’s identification, Grok offered contradictory information about Robinson’s political affiliation and even misreported that Kirk was alive post-mortem. Other AI systems, like Perplexity’s X bot, also provided misleading information, with one post labeling Kirk’s death as hypothetical. Experts warn that generative AI often lacks real-time fact-checking, relying instead on probability, which impacts accuracy. Utah’s Governor Spencer Cox noted the role of foreign entities in spreading disinformation and urged individuals to minimize social media consumption. Trust in AI-generated content remains a concern as users often perceive it as more reliable than human sources.
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