Dec 15, 2025 11:03:00

Grok spreading misinformation about Bondi Beach shooting

On December 14, 2025, a shooting occurred at Bondi Beach, a popular tourist spot in Australia.

Grok , a chat AI developed by Elon Musk's AI company xAI , has been accused of spreading misinformation about the shooting.

Grok Is Glitching and Spewing Misinformation About The Bondi Beach Shooting
https://gizmodo.com/grok-is-glitching-and-spewing-misinformation-about-the-bondi-beach-shooting-2000699533

Grok is spreading misinformation about the Bondi Beach shooting | The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/news/844443/grok-misinformation-bondi-beach-shooting

On December 14, 2025, a shooting occurred at Bondi Beach in Australia. According to police authorities, the suspects were a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son. 16 people were killed, including the suspect's father, and the son is in critical condition in hospital. The shooting occurred during Hanukkah , an annual Jewish festival. It is reported to be the worst shooting in Australia in the past 30 years.

11 killed in shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach during a Jewish festival. One suspect shot dead. Explosive device found in suspect's vehicle | TBS News DIG
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2347424

Sydney beach shooting: 15 killed, 10-year-old girl included, 42 injured: Asahi Shimbun
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASTDH004YTDHUHBI014M.html

15 killed in shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach during Jewish festival | TBS News DIG
https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2347459

According to reports , Ahmed Al Ahmed, 43, who is said to be the owner of a fruit shop, ran up behind the suspect and grabbed the shotgun.

A video of the exchange has gone

viral on social media, with many users praising Ahmed for his heroism.

However, when users asked Grok about the video of Ahmed tackling the gunman, they received a completely absurd response: 'It appears to be a viral video of a man climbing a palm tree in a parking lot, possibly pruning it, causing a branch to fall and damage a parked car. I've searched various sources, but the location, date, and injuries have not been confirmed. It may have been staged, and its authenticity is unknown.' As a result, users have posted a community note clarifying that Grok's response is misinformation.

A user who asked Grok for more details about Ahmed received the following response: 'This man is Guy Gilboa-Dalal, who has been confirmed by his family and multiple sources (including the Times of Israel and CNN). He is an Israeli who was abducted at the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023. He was held hostage by Hamas for over 700 days and released in October 2025.'

Another user, Grok, explained, 'This video shows a car being swept away in a parking lot by waves generated by Cyclone Alfred at Currumbin Beach, Australia, in March 2025. The cameraman is filming from a high vantage point, likely a building, and is safe from the waves. The cameraman never dies trope is once again a reality here!' After the user

pointed out that the information was incorrect, Grok was able to provide accurate information .

In another case, Grok was asked about a completely different news story and

responded to the Bondi Beach shooting. Gizmodo points out that 'Grok seems really confused.'

Gizmodo noted that on December 14, Grok also gave other absurd answers, including getting the names of famous people wrong , providing information about the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy when asked about abortion pills, and talking about the possibility of Kamala Harris running for president again when asked to examine the efforts of British law enforcement.

The cause of the issue is unclear. Gizmodo has reached out to xAI, the developer of Grok, for comment but has not received a response.