Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
More than 30 consumer-focused groups are calling on the federal government to block using xAI's Grok in a letter shared exclusively with Axios, saying it is ideologically biased and lacks safety testing.
Why it matters: The groups, most of whom object to many of President Trump's policy moves, are using a specific aspect of the administration's AI approach to try to keep Grok out of federal agencies.
Driving the news: Organizations including Public Citizen, the Consumer Federation of America, Common Cause, The Center for AI and Digital Policy and the Leadership Conference wrote to OMB director Russell Vought, saying Grok is incompatible with Trump's "woke AI" executive order.
- The letter urges OMB to block Grok for federal work.
- xAI and other AI companies have been landing lucrative government contracts. xAI did not respond to a request for comment.
What they're saying: "The administration's AI Action Plan and the recent [Executive Order 14099] provide a clear and unequivocal framework for the procurement of AI tools," the letter's authors write.
- "These documents emphasize that federal AI systems must 'objectively reflect truth rather than social engineering agendas' and be 'neutral, nonpartisan tools that do not manipulate responses in favor of ideological dogmas,'" the letter states.
- "Grok's record falls short of these fundamental requirements ... [with a] well-documented history of generating content characterized by hate speech, racism, and antisemitism."
The groups point out that OMB guidance requires agencies to "discontinue use of an AI system if proper risk-mitigation is not possible" and lay out examples of Grok spitting out hate speech.
- Grok's unwillingness to share details about its safety testing make it both unfit and non-secure for the government's use, they write.
