E-Paper
AI gone wrong: Grok misreads PM Modi's reply to Maldives president's Republic Day greeting, turns it into an attack
Grok's translation of PM Modi's message to Maldivian President Muizzu misrepresented goodwill, prompting backlash on social media.
Prime Minister's warm reply to Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu's “warmest" Republic Day greeting was inaccurately translated by Grok, social media platform X's AI assistant, from a message of goodwill into a politically sensitive remark about the Maldives.
The error drew attention when users pointed out that Grok's "translation" of PM Modi's post-originally written in Dhivehi to thank Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu for Republic Day greetings-had little connection to the Prime Minister's actual message.
“Warmest greetings and best wishes to President HE Smt Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn, Prime Minister HE Shri Narendra Modi @narendramodi, the government and the friendly people of India as they celebrate their 77th Republic Day,” Muizzu had written on X.
“This day strongly signifies the commitment of the people of India to uphold the principles of freedom, democracy and good governance,” he said.
The Maldives wishes to continue our work together to strengthen our excellent ties that have immensely benefited the welfare of the people of both countries, he added.
The earlier translation of PM Modi's reply read: "Sukuriyya, Raayithun Majlis. India's 77th Independence Day celebrations were held in the Maldives, and the Maldivian government participated in the event. This Sukuriya government has also been involved in the anti-India campaigns of the people. Even in the two anti-India campaigns, they have been at the forefront of the protests."
HT.com also saw the incorrect translation, which later was revised to reflect the correct version.
The revised translation read: “Thank you, President Muizzu. On the occasion of India’s 77th Republic Day, I gratefully accept the warm congratulations and best wishes that you have extended, with respect and esteem. We will continue to advance the work we are doing together for the benefit of the citizens of both nations. I wish all Maldivian citizens a future filled with happy and prosperous days ahead.”
Several X users reacted to the mistranslation and described it as alarming, alleging that the chatbot is “full of propaganda”.
A user, sharing side by side comparison of what Grok translated versus what ChatGPT and Perplexity results were, said, “It seems Grok is full of manipulation and propaganda rather than being just a chat bot AI.”
Another user wondered what “game” Grok played, calling the blooper a serious issue. “Ye kaun sa game khel diya @grok translation ne [what game did Grok translation play].
Never knew this could be done deliberately.. At the same time this is a serious issue, the user said.
