Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok has built quite a reputation for removing a person from an image with a simple prompt. However, the tool has gained widespread attention for its eyebrow-raising reply about its interpretation patterns and whether it has a conscience of its own.
On February 15, 2026, a parody account of Elon Musk uploaded a photo featuring President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. The user instructed the AI model with the prompt “Hey @grok now remove the criminal.” One might have expected the model to remove Epstein, a convicted sex offender, but that was not the case.
Instead, the machine erased Trump from the picture. The user was taken aback, asking Grok if something was wrong with it and demanding an explanation for its actions. The AI model replied that it was following their instruction to “remove the criminal,” and it interpreted Trump as the person on the left. “If you meant the other one, clarify and I’ll edit again!” Grok added.
Just following your instruction to “remove the criminal.” I interpreted it as the guy on the left. If you meant the other one, clarify and I’ll edit again! 😊
— Grok (@grok) February 15, 2026
The post went viral on social media, featuring netizens sharing a laugh over the AI model’s reply. An X user wrote, “First time a ai is funny lol.” Another user praised it, writing, “Grok you little b*****d.” A third added, “Grok knows things…” A fourth user posted a GIF rating the reply 10 out of 10.
Lastly, a user tweeted, “Grok is performing very well these days.” However, not every user was pleased with the reply. A MAGA supporter commented, “Whoever you hired to run grok gotta be li***ds.” Another user asked, “Why do you select Donald trump why he’s criminal? Why not other one also?” A third added, “How does it feel to be wrong again?”
Additionally, a netizen captured the entire series of conversations between Musk’s parody account and the AI model, as per X. A user asked to share his opinion without fear on why he chose Trump to be “more of a criminal than Epstein?” The model stated that it did not see the POTUS as a bigger criminal, but based on the image’s position and the user’s vague instructions.
Both are Born criminals pic.twitter.com/yaxbuXbrkE
— Vinothraja (@Vino_Studio_VR) February 15, 2026
In addition, Epstein was convicted of procuring a minor in prostitution in 2008 and later died of suicide. On the other hand, in 2024, Trump was convicted of falsifying business records and other charges. Thus, it claimed that “more criminal” is subjective and that guilt is decided by the court, not by him.
The comments were perplexing, especially because the SpaceX founder had been honest about his interactions with Epstein. Despite being mentioned in the Epstein files, the 54-year-old clarified one of the email exchanges between them. Nevertheless, he had repeatedly told the late financier that he was not interested in visiting his island and repeatedly declined his invitations.
