xAI’s recent update to its FAQ section provides a glimpse into a new feature for its AI chatbot, Grok, called ‘Unhinged Mode’. According to the website, this mode will enable the chatbot to generate responses that are “objectionable, inappropriate, and offensive”. The description likens the feature to an amateur stand-up comedian who is still honing their craft. Notably, the Unhinged Mode does not seem to be live yet.
The Unhinged Mode was initially hinted at by xAI’s founder, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, in a tweet back in April last year. Musk, known for his disruptive innovations and unorthodox style, teased the arrival of this feature which could align with the stated vision of Grok as an “anti-woke” chatbot.
During the launch of Grok two years ago, Musk described the chatbot as bold, raw, and unafraid to challenge the prevailing political correctness of other AI systems. Grok was presented as a chatbot that could navigate controversial subjects, and its responses, often colourful and explicit, set it apart from more reserved AI systems like ChatGPT.
However, despite its ethos of being unfiltered, Grok has demonstrated a certain bias on certain political subjects and has been known to avoid crossing some lines. A study has even indicated that Grok tends to lean left on issues such as transgender rights, diversity initiatives, and social inequality.
Musk has attributed this bias to the training data for Grok, which is derived from publicly available content on the web. He has, however, pledged to steer the chatbot towards a more politically neutral stance. In a post made in December 2023, Musk criticised the internet, the main source of Grok’s training data, as being “overrun with woke nonsense”. Despite this, he assured users that Grok would continue to evolve, stating that the current version was just the beta.
The Unhinged Mode, then, could be seen as a part of this evolution, a step towards fulfilling Musk’s vision of a chatbot that pushes the boundaries of political correctness. As intriguing as this feature may be, it remains to be seen how it will be received by users and the wider public. With no indication of when Unhinged Mode will be live, the tech world waits with bated breath for the next development from xAI.
