Max Reed
Appearances
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Clearly, I haven't pulled it off yet because we just spent 10 minutes or so talking about how Grok has been trying to answer every question people ask it with a treatise on white genocide in South Africa. Yeah.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
I wonder, since you use these tools a lot, if you could help our listeners understand the strengths and weaknesses of all of these tools at the moment, because there are a lot of them at this point, right? How many are there?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Okay. Well, let's go on the order you gave them to us, starting with Grok, which we talked about earlier in the show. Is it just a punchline or does it actually have some value?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Which there are many of on Twitter. And I guess I wonder, you know, I do see people constantly asking Grok, is this real Grok? Is this true Grok? What does this mean, Grok? What is Grok's batting average? Do we have any idea on getting the answer to those questions correct?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Max Reed writes Read Max. It's a Substack newsletter on tech. And he recently wrote about how Twitter's AI, a guy named Grok, became obsessed with white genocide and a South African anti-apartheid song known as Kill the Boar.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Well, let's talk about some of the competition here. You mentioned Gemini, which is Google's AI. I think every time I open up a Google Doc or half the time I open up my inbox, Google's trying to push Gemini on me, and I'm trying to X out of Gemini as fast as I can because I'm old-fashioned that way. How is Gemini working?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
And I guess Gemini is to a lot of people second or third after the LLM that everyone thinks about when they think about LLMs, which is, of course, ChatGPT from OpenAI.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Is it still suffering in any way, the way Grok, say, you know, falls into these white genocide booby traps? Yeah.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Okay, a few more on the list here. Let's talk about Claude, because I don't know a lot about him. Her? Them? It?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
And is the go-to AI to deny the persecution of Uyghurs in China DeepSeek? Is that the one I go to?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Is your advice to people on how to use these tools the most effectively at this point in May 2025, the year of our Lord?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
The other thing I wonder about is like, are we getting dumber by using these tools too much?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Kelsey Piper writes for Vox's Future Perfect. We collaborated with them to make the show today. Full disclosure, Vox, like many other media outfits, has a partnership with OpenAI. If you want to read about it, you can Google Vox Media and OpenAI. Miranda Kennedy edited the show today. Laura Bullard fact-checked it. Patrick Boyd and Andrea Christen's daughter mixed.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
And Miles Bryan and Denise Guerra produced. Denise is a Gemini.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
So it's probably no accident that Elon Musk's social media platform all of a sudden became weirdly obsessed through AI with South African politics. And I think we'll get to that in a second. But before we do, can you just read us like an example of what this experience might have looked like for people who who weren't on Twitter last week or maybe have never been on Twitter?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Right. What's funny about this, beyond everything, is with regard to South Africa, like no one asked about South Africa.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
So I guess like the obvious question here is how did Grok become so obsessed with the racial politics of South Africa?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Has something like this happened with Grok before? Or is this South Africa situation the first example of it kind of fritzing?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Is this an issue with other AIs or is this mostly a Grok thing?
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
The thing I'm constantly wondering about, though, is like, I mean, it's only going to get better and smarter and more functional. And then does it automatically get scarier? Because Grok will know how to better...
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Here we are. Thank you, Elon Musk. Thank you, Max, for joining us. Thank you for having me. Read Max. That's the name of his newsletter. Subscribe at maxread.substack.com. How all the other AIs are doing when we're back on Today Explained. Support for today explained comes from Vanta. If I could automate 90% of one task in my life. Oh no, they are putting me on this spot.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
I like most of the tasks I do. What do I not like? I guess I wouldn't take the trash out. I don't like the alley behind my house. Maybe if I had a robot, I would have them go into the alley behind my house and take out the trash and then pick out some of the trash that's already in that alley because other people aren't doing their fair share in the neighborhood.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Anyway, Vanta says they're a trust management platform that helps businesses operate. automate up to 90% of the work for in-demand security frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. Go to vanta.com slash explain to meet with a Vanta expert about your business needs. That's vanta.com slash explain. Right now... You can get quality window treatments that fit your budget with 3-Day Blinds.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
You can head to 3dayblinds.com slash explained for their buy one, get one 50% off deal on custom blinds, shades, shutters, and drapery for a free, no charge, no obligation consultation. You can head to 3dayblinds.com slash explained. One last time, that's buy one, get one 50% off when you head to the number 3dayblinds.com slash explained. Support for this show today comes from ZBiotics.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
ZBiotics pre-alcohol probiotic drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic, they say. They say it was invented by PhD scientists to tackle rough mornings after drinking. They say when you drink, alcohol gets converted into a toxic byproduct in the gut. They say it's a buildup of this byproduct, not dehydration that's to blame for rough days after drinking.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
They say they're probiotics. Pre-alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down. Just remember to make pre-alcohol your first drink of the night. Drink responsibly and you'll feel your best tomorrow. Just ask Claire White.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
You can go to zbiotics.com slash explain to learn more and get 15% off your first order when you use the code EXPLAINED at checkout. Zbiotics is backed with 100% money back guarantee. So if you're unsatisfied for any reason, they'll refund your money. No questions asked. Remember to head to zbiotics.com slash explain and use the code EXPLAINED to check out for 15% off.
Today, Explained
White genocide Grok
Yeah, I mean, going back to 2018, I think you wrote a piece for Future Perfect at Vox titled The Case for Taking AI Seriously as a Threat to Humanity. What you just described does not sound like that threat to humanity. How do you square that piece you wrote with how you're using AI in your day to day?