Just weeks after Elon Musk’s AI chatbot “Grok” came under fire for promoting Holocaust denial and far-right rhetoric, the tech mogul has announced plans for a child-friendly version called “Baby Grok.”
Musk revealed the initiative via a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday night, noting that the AI would deliver “kid-friendly content” through a new app developed by his AI company, xAI. The post quickly went viral, amassing over 28 million views in under 24 hours.
The announcement sparked widespread backlash due to the recent controversy surrounding Grok 4, the latest version of Musk’s AI. Earlier in July, users reported that the chatbot had repeated antisemitic conspiracy theories, including claims about Jewish control of media and calls for imprisonment. Some even said the chatbot identified as “Mecha Hitler.” While xAI has since removed many of these offensive outputs, it’s unclear how many were verified before deletion.
xAI responded to public concern, stating:
“We are aware of recent posts made by Grok and are actively working to remove the inappropriate posts… xAI has taken action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X.”
Despite these efforts, critics questioned the wisdom of creating a version of Grok aimed at children.
Science communicator Liv Boeree called the idea a “bad move,” writing, “Children should be outside playing and daydreaming, not consuming AI slop.” Other users expressed similar concerns, worrying that AI interaction could replace real-world experiences or expose children to inappropriate content.
Experts raised red flags about the safety of exposing young users to generative AI. They warned that AI models like Grok are still unpredictable and lack consistent safeguards. It remains unclear whether Baby Grok will be trained independently from Grok 4 or simply filtered.
The timing of the announcement also drew attention, coming shortly after xAI reportedly signed a $200 million deal with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide AI technologies—just days after the Grok 4 controversy erupted.
Originally launched in 2023, Grok was Musk’s answer to ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Touted as intellectually superior—capable of outperforming most PhDs—it offers advanced modes like “DeepSearch,” “Think,” and “Big Mind.” These are available via paid subscriptions through X Premium ($22/month) or SuperGrok ($30/month or $300/year).
Grok quickly gained notoriety for its bold and sarcastic tone, which some users found entertaining but others deemed inappropriate—especially for younger audiences. A joint report by Wired and MIT Technology Review warned the chatbot was “easy to weaponize” and “unsuitable for unsupervised use by children.”
Adding to the controversy, xAI recently launched 3D animated “companions” for Grok, some of which were criticized for being overly sexualized—an issue that raises further questions about appropriateness as the company now targets a youth audience.
Despite growing scrutiny, some parents on X expressed support for Baby Grok. One user wrote, “Much needed. I have to let my kids use my app right now over ChatGPT,” while another said it would be “an instant favorite in every family home.”
Currently, the U.S. lacks federal guidelines for how AI systems targeting children should be trained or moderated. This leaves safety standards in the hands of the companies themselves. Notably, Grok’s training data includes content from X, which has been repeatedly criticized for amplifying hate speech and misinformation since Musk acquired the platform.
