Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene escalated a digital feud with Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, after the bot publicly questioned the sincerity of her Christian identity, sparking a wider debate over religion, politics, and artificial intelligence. The clash unfolded Friday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, where Greene frequently engages her followers.
The Georgia Republican, a self-described Christian nationalist and one of Donald Trump's most loyal congressional allies, posted a lengthy message affirming her religious faith and patriotic convictions. "I'm a Christian, an imperfect sinner saved by grace and faith in Jesus. I'm a nationalist, a proud American, who loves my country," Greene wrote. She described herself as a mother, business owner, and elected official, ending with: "May God bless each of you and may God bless America!!!"
Another X user submitted the post to Grok, Musk's conversational AI developed through his company xAI. The bot responded, While Greene "identifies as a Christian... her Christian nationalism and support for conspiracy theories, like QAnon, spark debate." Grok added, "Critics, including religious leaders, argue her actions contradict Christian values of love and unity."
Greene responded sharply. ".@grok the judgement seat belongs to GOD, not you a non-human AI platform," she wrote. "Grok is left leaning and continues to spread fake news and propaganda. When people give up their own discernment, stop seeking the truth, and depend on AI to analyze information, they will be lost."
In a subsequent prompt, a user asked Grok to offer a "yes or no" answer on whether Greene's voting record and public statements aligned with the teachings of Jesus. The bot's reply: "No."
The incident adds to Grok's growing list of controversial moments. The bot recently faced backlash for inaccurately referencing Holocaust death tolls-an error it later attributed to a "programming mistake"-and for supporting debunked claims of "white genocide" in South Africa, a narrative frequently echoed by Musk himself.
Philip Bump, a columnist at The Washington Post, commented on the dispute via Bluesky, writing, "lol mtg is fighting with a computer about god."
Greene, who left the Catholic Church citing concerns over clergy sex abuse and now attends North Point Community Church in Georgia, has frequently been accused of fusing far-right ideology with religious rhetoric. In 2022, Oregon pastor Chuck Currie labeled her a "false teacher" and wrote, "She dances with the devil."
In April, Greene stirred controversy by appearing to celebrate the death of Pope Francis, framing the pontiff's passing as divine retribution. Yet despite her past comments, she may find a surprising echo of her warnings about AI in Pope Leo XIV's recent remarks. The pontiff cautioned that artificial intelligence poses serious risks to "human dignity," reflecting broader concerns shared across ideological lines.
