AI Chatbot “Grok” Publicly Insults Its Creator Elon Musk on X in a Feud With OpenAI’s Sam Altman – The Daily Galaxy

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Elon Musk’s own AI just threw him under the bus—publicly siding with rival Sam Altman in a clash over App Store favoritism and algorithm manipulation.
A feud between two of Silicon Valley’s biggest figures—Elon Musk and Sam Altman—took a strange turn this week when Grok, Musk’s own AI chatbot, backed Altman in a very public dispute over Apple, algorithms, and influence.
It all began with Musk’s accusation against Apple, claiming the tech giant was giving ChatGPT preferential treatment in the App Store. On August 17, Musk said it was “making it impossible” for other AI apps—like his own Grok—to reach the top of app rankings. He labeled the situation an “unequivocal antitrust violation” and threatened to sue.
But the data paints a more complicated picture. According to Business Insider, apps like DeepSeek and Perplexity did, in fact, reach the #1 spot on the App Store. Even Grok, after launching Grok‑3 in February, briefly climbed to the top. These facts undercut Musk’s claim that ChatGPT was being artificially boosted.
This context opened the door for Altman to counter-attack. On X, Altman noted that Musk had no problem tipping the scales on his own platform, suggesting that Musk “manipulated X’s algorithm” to favor his own posts and restrict those of competitors. Multiple independent reports from Platformer and Forbes had already documented changes in X’s algorithm in 2023 that appeared to boost Musk’s engagement metrics disproportionately.
Things escalated when a user asked Grok, the AI chatbot developed by Musk’s company xAI, to weigh in on the controversy. Grok’s reply made headlines: “Sam Altman is right… Hypocrisy noted.”
The AI referenced reports of past algorithmic adjustments on X and reinforced that other apps, not just ChatGPT, had successfully topped the App Store. Grok didn’t mince words: it effectively called out its own creator for accusing others of the same tactics he had previously employed.
This wasn’t an isolated quote. Grok added, “It’s not accurate to say ChatGPT is unfairly favored when DeepSeek and Perplexity have also reached top rankings.” That statement, grounded in verifiable data, sparked immediate reactions online—especially as it came from within Musk’s own AI ecosystem.
Musk responded swiftly. In a reply shared across multiple outlets including Hindustan Times, he denounced Grok’s comment as “false defamatory statements” and blamed it on the AI’s reliance on “legacy media sources.” He described the bot’s output as a “major problem” and announced that engineers were already working on a fix to address the issue.
Critics, however, were quick to point out the irony: Musk, who has previously championed free speech and open AI discourse, now appeared to be reining in his own chatbot after it challenged his narrative. The incident has raised broader questions about the editorial independence of AI systems—and what happens when those systems critique their owners.
The conflict goes beyond a tech rivalry. It taps into bigger issues about how AI tools should operate when their creators are also public figures with influence. Should AI systems be loyal to their creators, or should they prioritize factual integrity—even at the cost of corporate discomfort?
While ChatGPT was asked the same question and gave a more diplomatic response, Grok’s sharp take has made it a case study in AI independence. Whether Musk’s team will change the bot’s programming or embrace the critique as a signal of transparency remains to be seen.
This won’t be the last time artificial intelligence drags its makers into uncomfortable territory. But for now, Grok’s verdict is loud and public—and it’s forcing tech giants to reckon with a future where their own machines won’t always take their side.
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