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WASHINGTON: Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok produced inaccurate and contradictory responses when users sought to fact-check the Israel-Iran conflict, a study said Tuesday, raising fresh doubts about its reliability as a debunking tool.
With tech platforms reducing their reliance on human fact-checkers, users are increasingly utilizing AI-powered chatbots — including xAI’s Grok — in search of reliable information, but their responses are often themselves prone to misinformation.
“The investigation into Grok’s performance during the first days of the Israel-Iran conflict exposes significant flaws and limitations in the AI chatbot’s ability to provide accurate, reliable, and consistent information during times of crisis,” said the study from the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) of the Atlantic Council, an American think tank.
“Grok demonstrated that it struggles with verifying already-confirmed facts, analyzing fake visuals, and avoiding unsubstantiated claims.”
The DFRLab analyzed around 130,000 posts in various languages on the platform X, where the AI assistant is built in, to find that Grok was “struggling to authenticate AI-generated media.”
Following Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel, Grok offered vastly different responses to similar prompts about an AI-generated video of a destroyed airport that amassed millions of views on X, the study found.
It oscillated — sometimes within the same minute — between denying the airport’s destruction and confirming it had been damaged by strikes, the study said.
In some responses, Grok cited the a missile launched by Yemeni rebels as the source of the damage. In others, it wrongly identified the AI-generated airport as one in Beirut, Gaza, or Tehran.
When users shared another AI-generated video depicting buildings collapsing after an alleged Iranian strike on Tel Aviv, Grok responded that it appeared to be real, the study said.
The Israel-Iran conflict, which led to US air strikes against Tehran’s nuclear program over the weekend, has churned out an avalanche of online misinformation including AI-generated videos and war visuals recycled from other conflicts.
AI chatbots also amplified falsehoods.
As the Israel-Iran war intensified, false claims spread across social media that China had dispatched military cargo planes to Tehran to offer its support.
When users asked the AI-operated X accounts of AI companies Perplexity and Grok about its validity, both wrongly responded that the claims were true, according to disinformation watchdog NewsGuard.
Researchers say Grok has previously made errors verifying information related to crises such as the recent India-Pakistan conflict and anti-immigration protests in Los Angeles.
Last month, Grok was under renewed scrutiny for inserting “white genocide” in South Africa, a far-right conspiracy theory, into unrelated queries.
Musk’s startup xAI blamed an “unauthorized modification” for the unsolicited response.
Musk, a South African-born billionaire, has previously peddled the unfounded claim that South Africa’s leaders were “openly pushing for genocide” of white people.
Musk himself blasted Grok after it cited Media Matters — a liberal media watchdog he has targeted in multiple lawsuits — as a source in some of its responses about misinformation.
“Shame on you, Grok,” Musk wrote on X. “Your sourcing is terrible.”

BEIRUT: Colorful fireworks, sparkler-topped champagne bottles, and the occasional ballistic missile became regular features of nights out at Lebanon’s many rooftop bars and nightclubs last week, as Iran and Israel exchanged fire — providing revelers with a grim and surreal light show.

Social media has been flooded with videos of young people defiantly celebrating life as missiles arc across the night sky. This blend of dark humor and fatalistic resilience reflects a deeper yearning among Lebanese to break free from the endless cycles of conflict.

“The Lebanese love to celebrate as a way of compensating for all the crises they have endured,” Jean Beiruti, secretary-general of the Tourism Syndicates Union, told Arab News.

“Perhaps the clearest proof of this is the widely shared clips of wedding parties and nightclub gatherings even as missiles flew across Lebanon’s skies.”

This summer was meant to mark a renaissance for Lebanon — a glimmer of hope after years of economic collapse and political paralysis.

A new president and prime minister, untainted by the corruption of their predecessors, had taken office. Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed armed group, had been severely weakened after a devastating war with Israel.

Signs of revival had begun to appear. Tourists from across the region — notably Emiratis — were returning, choosing Lebanon as their summer retreat.

The familiar hum of vibrant nightlife had returned, and Lebanon’s famed hospitality was once again on full display, suggesting the country might finally be stepping out from the shadow of turmoil.

Yet the juxtaposition of festivity and fragility has never felt starker.

As tourists and locals embraced the promise of a carefree summer, the grim reality of regional tensions sometimes broke through.

Rocket fire streaking across Lebanon’s skies served as a chilling reminder of the ever-present threat at its borders.

“The regional developments had a limited impact on the start of Lebanon’s tourism season, particularly concerning flight bookings,” said Beiruti, reflecting on whether the Israel-Iran conflict had harmed tourist footfall.

“While all June bookings were canceled, July reservations remain unaffected so far. Tourism establishments in Lebanon are working flexibly with customers, offering incentives to maintain bookings and avoid cancellations.”

He is nonetheless hopeful that the setback will be temporary.

“If the security situation stabilizes and flights return to normal, things will go back to the way they were,” he said. “Lebanese expatriates will return with their families to spend the summer in Lebanon. They come every year regardless.

“We have already seen the beginning of Gulf tourism, with visitors arriving from the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar, as well as tourists from Egypt, Iraq and Jordan. These visitors never stopped coming to Lebanon.”

Nevertheless, the wider turmoil in the region has complicated Lebanon’s return to normalcy. Travel advisories issued by Western governments have discouraged artists and tourists from taking part in the country’s summer festivals.

Most notably, the Beiteddine Festival has postponed its program for a second year in a row.

“The opening of the festivals was supposed to feature American artistic groups, but the measure taken by the US State Department advising Americans against traveling to the region prompted us to postpone the festivals,” Hala Chahine, the festival’s spokesperson, told Arab News.

The Baalbeck International Festival may face a similar fate.

“The final decision has not been made yet, and we still have time,” Maya Halabi, the festival’s spokesperson, told Arab News. “The festivals are set to begin at the end of next July, so we can monitor the situation for a sufficient period before making the final decision.”

She added: “The main issue lies with the artistic groups that are set to participate, including those performing in “Carmen,” Georges Bizet’s masterpiece, scheduled for July 25 on the steps of the Temple of Bacchus. They are coming from Romania, Paris and Brazil.”

Tony Ramy, president of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night Clubs and Pastries, said the hospitality sector “had pinned its hopes on the new era in Lebanon, which brought trust and hope, as psychological factors greatly influence the tourism sector.

“Expectations were high, especially with the Arab openness to Lebanon — particularly from the Gulf countries. The Arab tourists are investors in Lebanon, property owners and big brothers to the Lebanese, and we share with them a historical nostalgia.

“Preparations were extensive, and we gathered some time ago at the Phoenicia Hotel — we, the owners of more than 400 restaurants — to declare that the sector was fully ready for the summer season.

“But the recent developments led to a drop in reservations by as much as 70 percent after airlines stopped landing at Beirut Airport.”

On the ground, Lebanese citizens — who personify the phrase ‘it is what it is’ — are living a dual reality. For many, day-to-day concerns like income and access to basic services outweigh the complexities of geopolitics.

Initially, many feared Lebanon would be dragged back into conflict if Hezbollah joined the fight at Iran’s behest. Those fears eased when the group announced it would stay out — for now.

Thomas Barrack, the US envoy to Syria, had warned Hezbollah against any action that might ignite further instability.

“I can say on behalf of President Trump... that would be a very, very, very bad decision,” Barrack said after his meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri last week, responding to a question on what the US position would be on any involvement by Hezbollah in the war.

Speaking in Doha on Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said his government had succeeded in avoiding a new war.

“We managed to prevent Lebanon being dragged into a new war or involvement in the regional conflict that was raging, and today we are looking forward to a new page of diplomatic action,” Salam told a press conference in the Qatari capital.

Lebanon’s recovery remains tightly bound to Hezbollah’s trajectory. Once regarded as Iran’s most formidable regional proxy, Hezbollah has been severely weakened. Over the past year, Israeli operations have decimated its leadership and degraded its military capabilities.

The US-brokered ceasefire of November 2024, which Hezbollah was forced to accept, left the group politically isolated and militarily diminished — sidelined in the latest confrontation between Iran and Israel.

Despite its historic role as Iran’s frontline against Israel, Hezbollah has refrained from attacking during the latest crisis. This restraint reflects not only the damage it has sustained, but also shifting public sentiment in Lebanon.

Many Lebanese now question the wisdom of sacrificing their fragile recovery for Iran’s regional ambitions — particularly after Tehran offered little support during Hezbollah’s darkest hours.

Under the terms of the ceasefire, Hezbollah was required to retreat north of the Litani River and surrender its weapons to the Lebanese Armed Forces — a process still underway.

The latest regional escalation began with Israel’s unprecedented strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, prompting missile barrages on Israeli cities. The US responded with direct strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities.

The next day, Iran retaliated with missile fire targeting US forces at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, drawing widespread condemnation. All missiles were intercepted and no casualties were reported.

While full-scale war seemed imminent, a fragile ceasefire — announced by US President Donald Trump on Monday — appears to be holding, at least for now.

Although both Israel and Iran have violated the truce in isolated incidents, the pause has allowed ordinary Lebanese to cling to the hope of avoiding further chaos.

Still, anxiety lingers. Lebanon’s recovery remains fragile, and any renewed fighting could draw Hezbollah back into the conflict — with potentially disastrous consequences.

For now, the country stands at a crossroads. The Lebanese people are determined to seize this rare moment of calm to rebuild and reclaim a sense of normal life. But the fate of that recovery may depend on the restraint of regional powers — and the endurance of the ceasefire.

Since the ceasefire was announced, Ramy said the tourism and hospitality sector had received a vital boost.

“The Arab tourists are last-minute planners,” he told Arab News.

“Now we await the Arab tourists from the Gulf, and we expect the arrival of Jordanian and Egyptian tourists. These come quickly because the distance between us is short, and they have their own hotels and restaurants they frequent. We hope for a summer similar to that of 2023.

“What matters most is security and political stability.”