Elon Musk, the controversial CEO of Tesla and now the owner of Twitter (rebranded as X), has a complicated relationship with the AI industry—criticizing it publicly while also investing heavily in it.
X’s Grok generative AI tool is being integrated into the platform, leveraging billions of tweets for training thanks to an automatic opt-in for all users. (Large language models like ChatGPT need vast amounts of text for training, which is why they periodically update their databases.)
The vast and constantly updated pool of tweets from active users proved irresistible to xAI, leading to the automatic scanning of your “posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and [Grok search] results.”
Currently, X uses Grok as a chatbot for premium users and to automate news summaries. Initial users have criticized its flippant tone, and its dependence on real-time data makes it vulnerable to misinformation.
All X/Twitter users are automatically opted into having their data scanned by Grok, regardless of premium status. Fortunately, you can manually opt out, although the process is not straightforward.
To disable Grok’s data scanning, access X’s Settings menu on the web (this option is unavailable in the app). Navigate to Privacy & Safety, then Grok, and uncheck Allow your posts…to be used for training and fine-tuning.
Interestingly, the term “grok,” meaning “to understand deeply,” originated from Robert Heinlein’s 1961 novel Stranger in a Strange Land. Heinlein, known for his influential sci-fi works and libertarian themes, is a favorite among Silicon Valley tech leaders like Musk.
Heinlein was also a staunch advocate for privacy, both in his writings and personal beliefs. It’s curious to ponder his reaction to a social network scanning every word users post without explicit consent, for the sake of AI training.