Secretaries of state urge Elon Musk to fix AI chatbot spreading election misinformation on X

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CHICAGO — Five secretaries of state are urging Elon Musk to fix an AI chatbot on the social media platform X, saying in a letter sent Monday that it has spread election misinformation.

The top election officials from Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington told Musk that X’s AI chatbot, Grok, produced false information about state ballot deadlines shortly after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.

While Grok is available only to subscribers to the premium versions of X, the misinformation was shared across multiple social media platforms and reached millions of people, according to the letter. The bogus ballot deadline information from the chatbot also referenced Alabama, Indiana, Ohio and Texas, although their secretaries of state did not sign the letter. Grok continued to repeat the false information for 10 days before it was corrected, the secretaries said.

The letter urged X to immediately fix the chatbot “to ensure voters have accurate information in this critical election year.” That would include directing Grok to send users to CanIVote.org, a voting information website run by the National Association of Secretaries of State, when asked about U.S. elections.

“In this presidential election year, it is critically important that voters get accurate information on how to exercise their right to vote,” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said in a statement. “Voters should reach out to their state or local election officials to find out how, when, and where they can vote.”

X did not respond to a request for comment.

Grok debuted last year for X premium and premium plus subscribers and was touted by Musk as a “rebellious” AI chatbot that will answer “spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems.”

Social media platforms have faced mounting scrutiny for their role in spreading misinformation, including about elections. The letter also warned that inaccuracies are to be expected for AI products, especially chatbots such as Grok that are based on large language models.

“As tens of millions of voters in the U.S. seek basic information about voting in this major election year, X has the responsibility to ensure all voters using your platform have access to guidance that reflects true and accurate information about their constitutional right to vote,” the secretaries wrote in the letter.

Since Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and renamed it to X, watchdog groups have raised concerns over a surge in hate speech and misinformation being amplified on the platform, as well as the reduction of content moderation teams, elimination of misinformation features and censoring of journalists critical of Musk.

Experts say the moves represent a regression from progress made by social media platforms attempting to better combat political disinformation after the 2016 U.S. presidential contest and could precipitate a worsening misinformation landscape ahead of this year’s November elections.

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The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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A rocket attack at an Iraqi military base injures US personnel, officials tell AP

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By LOLITA C. BALDOR

WASHINGTON (AP) — Several U.S. personnel were injured in a suspected rocket attack at a military base in Iraq, U.S. defense officials said Monday, in what has been a recent uptick in strikes on American forces by Iranian-backed militias.

The attack comes as tensions across the Middle East are spiking following the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran, in suspected Israeli strikes. Both groups are backed by Iran.

The U.S. defense officials said troops at al-Asad air base were still assessing the injuries and damage. Earlier Monday, Iraqi security officials confirmed the attack, but no group has claimed responsibility.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

In recent weeks, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have resumed launching attacks on bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria after a lull of several months, following a strike on a base in Jordan in late January that killed three American soldiers and prompted a series of retaliatory U.S. strikes.

Between October and January, an umbrella group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had regularly claimed attacks that it said were in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza and were aimed at pushing U.S. troops out of the region.

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Associated Press writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.

With new T-shirts, Gophers’ NIL collective trolls Hawkeyes over invalid fair catch

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The Gophers don’t play Iowa until Week 4 of the college football season, but some fans will already be needling one of their biggest rivals come the season opener Aug. 29.

Dinkytown Athletes — the Gophers’ name, image and likeness (NIL) collective — released shirts Monday with a picture and text of the Floyd of Rosedale rivalry trophy on the front, and verbatim NCAA rule interpretations on invalid signals on the back.

It’s technically a gold T-shirt with maroon screen printing to match the “Gold Out” the Gophers athletics department have planned for Week 1 against North Carolina at Huntington Bank Stadium. The proceeds go to support the football team’s NIL fund, but it also pokes at the Hawkeyes’ still-festering scab going into their trip to Minnesota on Sept. 21.

Need a shirt for the GOLD OUT vs North Carolina on 8/29??

100% of the proceeds go to #Gophers football NIL support

Order herehttps://t.co/pUqHVp0nZp pic.twitter.com/NT8saC5eAz

— DinkytownAthletes (@DTAthletes) August 5, 2024

An always-simmering border rivalry started boiling last October when Hawkeyes punt returner Cooper DeJean’s go-ahead touchdown was called back for an invalid fair catch signal toward the end of the Gophers’ 12-10 win in Iowa City.

DeJean waved with his left hand as he ran toward a bouncing ball; at least one Gophers player was seen letting up in his coverage path. The penalty wasn’t flagged on the field as DeJean tight-roped down the sideline, cut back across field and scored. But upon video review, it was determined an invalid signal was used when DeJean, per the rule interpretation, “alerts his teammates to stay away from the ball by a ‘get away’ signal.”

Among the 207 words printed on the back of the Dinkytown Athletes’ shirt, the phrase “get away” is highlighted. It might come in handy if Gophers fans get into a verbal spat with Hawkeyes supporters and want to cite source material.

The Gophers’ win a year ago ended an eight-game losing streak in the series since 2014 and 10-game drought at Kinnick Stadium since 1999.

Now, members of the Dinkytown Athletes collective can have some pork and twist the knife, too.

Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz has had a hard time getting over the call, bringing it up as Iowa won the West Division and headed to the Big Ten championship game in November. Some Hawkeyes fans are hung up on it, too, and they have their own shirts available online, many with the saying: “It wasn’t a fair catch.”

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck reiterated at Big Ten Media Days in late July what he initially said in October.

“What was controversial about that game?” Fleck asked a reporter.

“The punt return,” the reporter responded.

“The illegal fair catch signal, right?” Fleck said. “I have to, it’s our fans. That’s what makes (the rivalry) beautiful, right?”

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Vikings receiver Jordan Addison formally charged with pair of misdemeanors

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Second-year Vikings receiver Jordan Addison has been formally charged with a pair of misdemeanors — driving under the influence of alcohol and and driving with blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher — stemming from his arrest in Los Angeles last month.

There is a court date set for Oct. 7 in Los Angeles, per multiple reports, during which Addison will be arraigned with the option to agree to a plea deal.

He was arrested last month after police found him asleep behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce with the vehicle blocking lanes of traffic near Los Angeles International Airport. He was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence and released after a couple of hours.

In accordance with the NFL’s policy and program on substances of abuse, Addison, 22, could be suspended for three games without pay for his first offense relating to the use of alcohol. The discipline can also be increased based on a number of factors.

Talking to reporters at TCO Performance Center last month, Addison took accountability for his actions, vowing to learn from his mistake. He added that he was in a very dark place following his arrest, thanking his teammates for supporting him once he returned to the Twin Cities for training camp.

“That’s just me being hard on myself knowing that I’ve got to do better,” Addison said at the time. “I feel like ain’t nobody more disappointed in me than myself.”

Though head coach Kevin O’Connell expressed his disappointment in Addison at the time, the Vikings did not discipline him publicly, instead choosing to allow the NFL to handle things once the legal proceedings played out.

This isn’t the first time Addison has been in trouble for making poor decisions behind the wheel. He was pulled over on July 20, 2023 in St. Paul and cited for speed and reckless driving after traveling 140 mph in a 55-mph zone. He agreed to plead guilty to speeding and paid $686 in fines and fees.

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