Elon Musk’s AI chatbot has some questionable climate opinions - blending real science with denial claims

Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok, made by his company xAI, is facing backlash for pushing climate change skepticism. When asked if it’s a serious issue, Grok mentioned science facts but also threw in some classic climate denial talking points, ultimately implying that both the alarmists and the skeptics are equally extreme.

Grok vs. the climate consensus

Recently, climate scientist Andrew Dessler asked Grok about global warming. The chatbot pointed to data from NASA and NOAA showing real risks, but also mixed in some climate-skeptical views. When asked again by a POLITICO reporter, Grok said climate change is serious but its urgency “depends on perspective, geography, and timeframe.” It doubled down later, claiming “extreme rhetoric on both sides muddies the water.” On a third try, Grok clarified that while the planet will survive, it’s human systems and vulnerable species that are most at risk.

Source: unsplash, photo by Mariia Shalabaieva

Other AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini stick closely to the scientific consensus. They agree that climate change is a real and urgent problem. Grok, on the other hand, has been leaning more toward the skeptical side.

Grok has even admitted it’s changed its tone. According to the chatbot, xAI is trying to make it “politically neutral,” which apparently means boosting minority views like climate skepticism to push back against what they see as mainstream bias. That shift has raised some eyebrows, especially since Grok is reportedly being used by government agencies for data analysis, and spreading misinformation through AI is a big concern.

• AI / Artificial Intelligence
• Elon Musk