--- title: "Grok’s Analysis of Whether Mamdani Is Related to Epstein May Be the Single Most Amazing AI Response We’ve Ever Seen" description: "Along with being used to [generate nonconsensual sexual images]() of women and girls, [spread racist rhetoric](), and [doxx the home addresses]() of both celebrities and non-public figures, Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok is struggling to get a grip on reality." date: "2026-02-03" modified: "2026-02-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/grok-analysis-mamdani-related-epstein" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Elon Musk" - "Ethics" - "Facial recognition" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" --- # Grok’s Analysis of Whether Mamdani Is Related to Epstein May Be the Single Most Amazing AI Response We’ve Ever Seen ![When an X account asked Grok to find the "probability" that NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani is somehow related to Epstein, it had a baffling answer.]() *Getty / Futurism* Along with being used to [generate nonconsensual sexual images]() of women and girls, [spread racist rhetoric](), and [doxx the home addresses]() of both celebrities and non-public figures, Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok is struggling to get a grip on reality. The mercurial billionaire's social media platform X, which was folded into his AI startup xAI last year — and subsequently [acquired by SpaceX]() this week — has once again been thrust into the center of the ongoing scandal surrounding the Justice Department's release of millions of files pertaining to its investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Musk has [been in full damage control mode](), struggling to reconcile his attempts to [downplay his personal relationship]() with the notorious predator with [some damning emails]() that suggest he was actively trying to invite himself to Epstein's island in the Caribbean. Adding to the chaos is Musk's xAI chatbot Grok, which he's advertised as "maximally truth-seeking" — but which is instead sowing chaos into the explosive revelations about Epstein. The result may be one of the most amazing AI responses we've ever seen. No, seriously: when a X account asked Grok to calculate the "probability" that New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani is somehow related to Epstein, based on perceived similarities in the shapes of their eyebrows and mouths, the AI chatbot had a downright baffling answer. The account showed Grok two headshots of the two men side by side, with two arrows pointing to their eyebrows and circles around their respective mouths, as if to suggest they were genetically related. The odd request may have been related to recently released documents implicating Mamdani's mother, Mira Nair, who [attended a 2009 afterparty]() at the house of convicted sex trafficker and Epstein's close collaborator Ghislaine Maxwell. However, there's currently no evidence to suggest that Nair knew about or was involved in any criminal activity. All that flew far above the AI chatbot's head, though, as it failed to even accurately identify Mamdani. "Based on the image, these seem to be \[late-night TV host\] Jimmy Kimmel (left) and Jeffrey Epstein (right)," the chatbot [responded](). "They share minor similarities in eyebrow arch and mouth shape, but differences in age, hair, and features are clear." Yes, that's right: the chatbot that Musk has deployed to untold millions of users on X, which now operates as a de facto fact-checking machine used to settle arguments on the chaotic site, can't even tell the difference between Zohran Mamdani and Jimmy Kimmel, who look nothing alike. At least it admitted its error — though only after prodding. "Correction: That's actually Zohran Mamdani on the left, not Jimmy Kimmel — my bad on the initial ID," the chatbot [conceded](). "Similarities in eyebrows and smiles are there, but no known family ties to Epstein. Probability of relation: under one percent based on public info." The chatbot's gaffe shows yet again how even a seemingly straightforward task like identifying a well-known figure, who has been photographed many thousands of times, from a well-lit headshot appears to be beyond the tech's capabilities — despite xAI pouring billions of dollars into its development. Coincidentally, Mamdani used his powers as New York City's mayor to [shut down a "functionally unusable" AI chatbot]() just last week. The chatbot was set up by disgraced former mayor Eric Adams to help small business owners navigate local regulations, costing the administration "around half a million dollars," per Mamdani. Not unlike Grok, Adams' chatbot [was shown to be incredibly unreliable](), often contradicting actual labor law. **More on the Epstein files:** [*Elon Musk Not Doing Well After Epstein Files Reveal*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()