When the Fish Stinks from the Head: Elon Musk, Grok AI, and the Authoritarian Tech Problem

Il pesce puzza dalla testa/the fish stinks from the head

Since Elon Musk seems overexcited about all things Italian - from the old Roman salute to the new right-wing leadership whose party traces back to Mussolini the proverb feels fitting. I’m not big on conspiracy theories. I believe the easiest explanation is usually the real one. And the level of conspiracy chatter often says more about the mental state of a society than about actual events. 

But o boy, does this guy push the boundaries of my sanity. 

Grok AI and the Misinformation Machine

He’s a loud supporter of freedom of speech, yet we keep seeing how that “freedom” only seems to apply when your opinion lines up with the boss. In the AI world too, he called for transparency, but critics have warned: put AI in his hands, and it becomes just another tool to manipulate public discourse.

Last week, two incidents involving Grok - his AI sidekick - hit back to back. First, Grok spread the false claim of a genocide happening in South Africa. On white farmers, no less. As if that absurdity wasn’t enough (Midnight Oil’s Beds Are Burning comes to mind), it became obvious someone tampered with the algorithm. Then, same week, Grok gave answers casting doubt on the death toll of the Holocaust. The official line? One rogue engineer made unauthorized changes. Where have we heard that before? Classic scapegoat play.

Lies, Fascism, The Mask Drops on Elon Musk

But let’s pause. Both of these incidents, deeply tied to far-right extremism, happened at the AI company run by a man openly flirting with white supremacy theories and neo-fascism. Too on the nose? Maybe. Like I said, I’m not into conspiracies. But at a certain point, probability starts shifting and the conspiracy becomes the most logical explanation.

So, is the richest man in the world out to get us? Or is it all just coincidence? Probably so.

Still, these are just the latest additions to a long list of behavior patterns we’ve seen before in authoritarians: lies, deception, overreach, bullying, anti-democratic, anti-minority, anti-human (anti-anything, really), and before I forget, more lies. Enough misinformation to fill an entire library just with his tweets.

Some ask what happened to the once-progressive, near-iconic South African entrepreneur. Others, like his own daughter, say nothing happened. He’s always been like this. He just happened, by chance, to work on something that accidentally helped the environment.

Do the Math: What’s the Real Impact of Tech Billionaires?

The verdict’s yours. But the question stands: When you add up the impact - good and harm - what’s left when the line is drawn? As with all the other times, maybe the boss knew. Maybe he didn’t. But remember: the fish stinks from the head. Always.

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