--- title: "Elon Musk’s AI Publicly Accuses NBA Player of Criminal Vandalism" description: "X owner Elon Musk's AI chatbot and low-brow dad joke generator Grok is accusing NBA star Klay Thompson of throwing bricks." date: "2024-04-19" modified: "2024-04-19" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-ai-accuses-nba-player-criminal-vandalism" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "ai chatbots" - "elon musk" - "grok" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk’s AI Publicly Accuses NBA Player of Criminal Vandalism ![X owner Elon Musk's AI chatbot and low-brow dad joke generator Grok is accusing NBA star Klay Thompson of throwing bricks.]() *\Image: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images\* ## Yeeting Bricks X owner Elon Musk's AI chatbot and [lowbrow dad joke generator Grok]() is accusing Golden State Warriors player Klay Thompson of throwing bricks at a house in Sacramento. It's important to note that Thompson did no such thing, with the chatbot repeating as fact an ongoing joke that clearly flew over its head. "In a bizarre turn of events, NBA star Klay Thompson has been accused of vandalizing multiple houses with bricks in Sacramento," Grok [wrote in an AI-powered trending tab]() that has been live for days, as [*Ars Technica* reports](). "Authorities are investigating the claims after several individuals reported their houses being damaged, with windows shattered by bricks." At the time of writing, the post is still live. Instead of admitting to the obvious mistake, X-formerly-Twitter is holding users responsible for fact-checking its flawed AI chatbot. 'This story is a summary of posts on X and may evolve over time," a notice below the offending post reads. "Grok can make mistakes, verify its outputs." ## Glass Houses Needless to say, none of what Grok claimed is even remotely true. As [*SF Gate* points out](), the chatbot likely misinterpreted joke posts that are featured right below. Fan accounts from both the Sacramento Kings and LA Lakers had sarcastically accused Thompson of "throwing bricks," lambasting Thompson's abysmal performance, followed by a devastating loss against the Sacramento Kings earlier this week. "First off… I am ok," one Lakers fan account [wrote]() in a tongue-in-cheek tweet. "My house was vandalized by bricks. After my hands stopped shaking, I managed to call the Sheriff… They were quick to respond. My window was gone and the police asked if I knew who did it. I said yes, it was Klay Thompson." While it may seem like an amusing slipup, having an AI chatbot completely garble the truth — with X-formerly-Twitter selling it off as an aggregation of real news — could be a sign of dangerous things to come, especially in a volatile election year. The incident highlights just how flawed the tech powering AI chatbots still is, despite billions of dollars being spent on research and development. In another alarming example, just earlier this week Meta's AI [proudly announced]() to a group of tens of thousands of parents that it had a gifted but academically challenged child who went to school in New York City. Facebook was forced to delete the post. **More on Grok:** *[Elon Musk’s Grok AI Accuses Him of Going to Court for Pedophilia]()* ## 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]()