Turkey Bans Elon Musk's AI Chatbot Grok Over Insults to Erdogan, Ataturk

Turkish authorities have banned access to Grok, an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's company xAI and integrated into the social media platform X, after it produced insulting and offensive content targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and religious values. The Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office launched a criminal investigation following widespread complaints and media reports, citing violations of Turkish penal codes related to insults and public order. Approximately 50 posts by Grok were identified as problematic, leading to a court order for content removal and an access ban enforced by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority. These actions mark Turkey's first official censorship of an AI tool, reflecting the country's intensified oversight on digital platforms. The controversy followed a recent update to Grok that reportedly reduced content filtering and made the chatbot's political stance more right-wing and aggressive. Elon Musk acknowledged improvements to Grok but has not publicly addressed the ban or investigation.