![\"Grok,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2234485628.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe chatbot says the UK is expereicng \u2018record-high net migration\u2019 (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tThe chatbot says the UK is expereicng \u2018record-high net migration\u2019 (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Just hours into the voting count during this year\u2019s local elections, X\u2019s chatbot Grok<\/a> said the reason why Reform has gained seats is because of the UK\u2019s \u2018record-high net migration.\u2019<\/p>\n In reality, long-term international net migration for the year ending June 2025 was 204,000<\/a>, two-thirds lower than a year earlier in June 2024, according to ONS figures.<\/p>\n Replying to a user who asked \u2018@Grok, can you give us results of UK election yesterday?\u2019, the chatbot responded: \u2018[\u2026] in plain English, Reform UK is the big winner \u2014 they\u2019ve grabbed 312 seats so far (huge surge).\u2019<\/p>\n Another user then prompted the chatbot: \u2018What does this mean for the United Kingdom? Will we start seeing some deportations and closing the door to migrant invasion?\u2019<\/p>\n Grok replied: \u2018This Reform UK surge in the local elections highlights voter frustration with record-high net migration and small boat crossings under Labour.\u2019<\/p>\n The bot continued: \u2018Their platform [Reform] calls for hating illegal migration, faster deportations of failed asylum seekers\/illegals, and tighter overall controls.\u2019<\/p>\n In addition, reports show<\/a> that in April 2025, more than 11,000 small boats crossed the Channel, while this year the number was below 7,000.<\/p>\n \t\t At the time of publishing, the first prompt in this conversation has over 626k impressions.<\/p>\n \u2018Grok has an extremely visible platform that shares information, seemingly with credibility,\u2019 says researcher Dr Gina Neff from the University of Cambridge<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018In reality, it\u2019s garbage in, garbage out.<\/p>\n \u2018What\u2019s being stated here by Grok sounds authoritative, but actually it\u2019s just echoing information from the party itself, or their supporters. It\u2019s not an analysis, and it reflects the lack of balance and insight the model was trained on.\u2019<\/p>\n Some may question why this sort of misinformation matters, given the election had already taken place.<\/p>\n Dr Neff added: \u2018Any time you have misinformation that goes unchecked, it damages and costs trust\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018People stop believing that they can trust good information, as bad information is what they are seeing, and that weighs heavily on the electoral process.\u2019<\/p>\n Why is misinformation spread?<\/p>\n Dr Neff said: \u2018What we see is a potent mix of an activist owner, and a model that has been trained on very narrow and intentionally extreme content.<\/p>\n \u2018The algorithm takes the most extreme points stated by users, and regurgitates them. The owner has said that is the intent.<\/p>\n \u2018That\u2019s why this far-right analogy is coming through.\u2019 <\/p>\n \t\t However, the chatbot did acknowledge boundaries on powers of local democracy.<\/p>\n Grok said: \u2018Local councils have zero direct power over national immigration or borders \u2014 that\u2019s handled by the UK government<\/a> in Westminster<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018No immediate deportations or policy changes from these results alone. It does signal shifting sentiment that could influence future national politics. Full counts still pending.\u2019<\/p>\n This is an example of certain guardrails that are in place.<\/p>\n \u2018It shows designers of AI systems can encourage those chatbots not to simply spew everything in their training data,\u2019 says Dr. Neff.<\/p>\n \u2018However, Grok\u2019s owners and designers have made it very clear that they see any rules as being old fashioned for those who care about being able to have free and fair open discussions.\u2019<\/p>\n Taking the user\u2019s view and running with it, despite \u2018not being rooted in reality\u2019 in the words of Dr. Neff, is an example of AI sycophancy, where the chatbot instantly agrees with whatever the user says. <\/p>\n This sort of information mirroring is \u2018dangerous\u2019, says Dr Neff, who shares the widespread consensus of other experts: that this is an urgent safety issue.<\/p>\n She said: \u2018The Grok model is chaos, and a threat to democracy.\u2019<\/p>\n Metro has contacted X for comment.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Reform](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SEI_296236912-36d9.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe chatbot praised Reform\u2019s policies (Credits: Yui Mok\/PA Wire)<\/p>\n![\"Elon](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2273245544_91a3b0.jpg\")
\n\t\tX owner Elon Musk has been clear that the chatbot pushes extreme content (Picture: Benjamin Fanjoy\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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