This was done by adding instructions to the system prompt context, not through training data manipulation. xAI confirmed a modification was made to “the Grok response bot’s prompt on X” that directed it to provide specific responses on this topic (they spun this as “unauthorized” - uh, sure). Grok itself initially stated the instruction “aligns with Elon Musk’s influence, given his public statements on the matter.” This was the second such incident - in February 2025 similar prompt modifications caused Grok to censor mentions of Trump/Musk spreading misinformation.

[1] https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/15/xai-blames-groks-obsession...