Another discussion revolved around the future of artificial intelligence and the ability of AI to be “obsequious”.
Musk very skillfully turned the discussion in his favor with a manipulative and seemingly insignificant step – he reposted a of a post by entrepreneur Michael Nichols on the risks of “obsequious” AI models. The post, dedicated to the problem of sycophancy – the tendency of algorithms to agree with the user rather than search for the truth – quickly went viral and became part of a broader debate around chatbot behavior.
AI bias
In his post, Nichols noted, “Your AI advisor may only be telling you what you want to hear – not what you need to hear”
(“Your AI advisor may only be telling you what you want to hear – not what you really need to hear.”).
Modern models trained to be “helpful,” he says, are increasingly tailoring themselves to the user’s expectations, confirming the user’s views instead of verifying them. This approach can be dangerous in sensitive areas, from investments to politics, where critical thinking is key.
Ilon Musk’s repost was accompanied by a brief comment: “Important point,“ which the entrepreneur used to dramatically increase attention to the topic.
The repost does not appear to be accidental. The billionaire has consistently promoted the idea that existing AI systems – including those developed by OpenAI – suffer from bias and excessive “political correctness.” In this logic, Nichols’ thesis becomes a convenient argument: the problem is not the AI itself, but the way it is trained.
Against this background, Musk’s own project, Grok, developed by xAI, is positioned as an alternative. The model is integrated into the X platform and, according to the developers’ claims, should be less restrictive in its wording and “tell it like it is”.
However, experts note that the situation remains controversial. Grok has previously been criticized for its tendency to reproduce the views of its creator and increase polarization in discussions.
Musk’s communication strategy
It was in this vein that the most lively part of the discussion on platform X began after Musk’s repost. Part of the audience supported him, stating that the problem of “obsequious AI” has long been obvious:
“Finally someone is talking about it. Most AI just repeats what the user wants to hear.”
Other users, on the other hand, pointed out the contradiction: “Isn’t Grok doing exactly the same thing, only adjusting to Musk’s views?”.
Some comments were even harsher: “It’s not solving the problem, it’s just changing the side of the bias.”
A separate group of users drew attention to a broader risk: “If AI starts choosing sides, it stops being a tool and becomes a participant in the argument.”
As a result, the billionaire’s repost of Nichols can be seen less as an acknowledgement of a systemic problem than as part of a communications strategy. Musk is actually using one of the main fears around AI – the loss of objectivity – to promote his own technological alternative.
