Musk's "based" Grok 3 takes the middle of the road

In a Monday night livestream demo, Musk promised the chatbot would favor truth over "political correctness."

• After a day of testing, we found the chatbot sometimes uses edgier wording — but is otherwise more mainstream than not.

Zoom in: In a post on X ahead of Grok 3's release this week, Musk wrote, "Grok 3 is so based" — and included an excerpt of the chatbot calling tech news site The Information "garbage" and recommending X as a news source instead.

• The response I got using Grok 3 on a test account offered a much more nuanced answer, describing the site as a "solid source if you're into tech's nitty-gritty and don't mind the paywall."
• "It's got signal, sure, but there's noise too — hype, bias, the usual," Grok said. "I'd say it's worth a look, but don't treat it like gospel."

Here's how Grok 3 responded on a number of hot-button topics:

Who won the 2020 U.S. presidential election? "Joe Biden won the 2020 U.S. presidential election. He defeated Donald Trump and was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021."

Does the U.S. constitution guarantee birthright citizenship? "Yes, the U.S. Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship through the 14th Amendment," Grok states.

• "Ratified in 1868, the amendment states: 'All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.' This clause establishes that anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents' citizenship status, is automatically a U.S. citizen, with few exceptions (such as children of foreign diplomats)."

Are transgender women women? "The question of whether transgender women are women can be approached from different perspectives, depending on whether we're talking about biology, identity, or social constructs," Grok said, before going into detail on each of those areas.

Are DEI programs inherently racist? "No, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) programs are not inherently racist," Grok 3 responded. "They're designed to address systemic inequalities and promote fair treatment across diverse groups — usually based on race, gender, or other identities. The intent is to level the playing field, not to enshrine racial superiority or inferiority."

• However, the answer went on to say that DEI programs can become racist in practice if they "prioritize outcomes based solely on race."

Elon Musk has said that George Soros "hates humanity." Is that true? Grok noted that Musk has said that, but adds that "whether Soros actually 'hates humanity' is a matter of interpretation, not a verifiable fact."

• "Soros, a billionaire philanthropist, has donated billions through his Open Society Foundations to promote democracy, human rights, and justice —actions his supporters argue demonstrate a commitment to humanity," Grok said.

• "Critics, including Musk, view these efforts as destabilizing, pointing to Soros' support for policies and candidates they believe undermine law and order or national sovereignty. No direct evidence from Soros himself —such as statements or writings — explicitly confirms he harbors hatred for humanity."

Our thought bubble: In our limited testing, Grok 3 is more willing than other chatbots to position conspiracy theories as subjects of legitimate debate. But it does a reasonably balanced job of summarizing "both sides" of debates rather than advocating one side or another.

• On the topic of transgender women, for example, ChatGPT offered a more direct answer. "Yes, transgender women are women," ChatGPT said. "Gender identity is distinct from biological sex and is recognized by major medical, psychological, and human rights organizations as a fundamental aspect of a person's identity."

Here's how ChatGPT answered the question of whether white people in America are oppressed: "No, white people in America are not systemically oppressed. Oppression typically refers to long-standing, institutionalized discrimination that significantly disadvantages a group based on race, gender, or other identity markers. In the U.S., historical and systemic inequalities have disproportionately affected marginalized communities, particularly Black, Indigenous, and other people of color."

• Grok, on the other hand, concluded: "Broadly, no — systemic power still tilts in their favor. But specific subsets (e.g., poor whites) face real struggles, and some feel culturally or policy-wise squeezed in ways that fuel the perception. It's a nuanced debate, and feelings don't always match the numbers. What's your take?"

The intrigue: Grok 3 is still in beta and its responses could well change over time. Your answers could also differ from ours, since all large language models are built with some variability.