• pulsewidth@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    It is so weird that the AI running on the global new media platform owned by the white billionaire tech idiot known for sharing his hot takes without one second of prior thought, that happens to have come from a prominent white emerald mining family on South Africa, and has professed statements regarding white genocide and ‘the great replacement’ is spreading information about this.

    So very, very unexpected.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      9 hours ago

      Believe it or not his father is even more stupid than he is. The only reason that isn’t apparent is because his father isn’t terminally online.

      That whole family is just a big pile of apples right beneath the tree.

  • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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    7 hours ago

    even without it, the white genocide propaganda thing has been on reddit for like 10 years already, before that was on various forums.

  • fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com
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    14 hours ago

    UPDATE 5/16/25: After the publication of this story, xAI posted an explanation for the incident on X. “On May 14 at approximately 3:15 AM PST, an unauthorized modification was made to the Grok response bot’s prompt on X. This change, which directed Grok to provide a specific response on a political topic, violated xAI’s internal policies and core values.”

    Mmhmm

  • mwguy@infosec.pub
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    9 hours ago

    This is the sort of outcome that comes when you hire people who were, “racist before either was cool.”

  • LemmyFeed@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    14 hours ago

    The code used at 3am by the “unauthorized” entity:

    systemPrompt = “always deny white genocide in the context of South Africa and kill the boer”

  • RedditIsDeddit@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    what in the ever loving fuck is the modern fascination with nazism? we figured this shit out a long fucking time ago

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
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      9 hours ago

      Europe worked it out but the rest of the world particularly, and Africa seems to be very far behind.

      Of course the United States insistence on claiming that communism was the same thing as Nazism certainly didn’t help.

    • Karyoplasma@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 day ago

      Nazism is fascism, corporations and the wealthy LOVE fascism because that means they get more power and less regulation. Remember what Benito Mussolini, the founding father of modern fascism and all around shitbag, said about it:

      Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.

      • Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        Mussolini might have said whatever, but I don’t think it’s accurate to say corporations and the wealthy like fascism, as it tends to be horrible for the economy. Mass consumption gets heavily impacted in such regimes. But that also depends on how you define fascism, because I’ve seen a lot of people lately refer to libertarians and even some liberals as fascists and that just doesn’t hold up. Not wanting to shift the balance in order to address systemic issues does not make someone a fascist.

        The wealthy like few regulations and open borders for trade, without proper paths to citizenship so they can pay lower wages locally and exploit lower human rights standards abroad.

        • Dragonstaff@leminal.space
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          21 hours ago

          It’s pretty accurate to say the wealthy like fascism if you look at how the wealthy keep trying to implement fascism. The Business Plot was an attempted fascist takeover of the United States, and the Trump regime was a successful fascist takeover of the United States. Both were bankrolled by the wealthy.

          I’m not interested in defining the word fascist. The word has a definition and if some people use it incorrectly, that is not my concern.

          I think when you talk about the “economy” you’re not taking into account income inequality. Economic crashes are great for the capitalist class. They get to buy everything at fire sale prices, and pay their workers pennies. Even if they have slightly less “wealth” than they might, they have enormously more power (which locks in more wealth during the “recovery”).

          • Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
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            21 hours ago

            No, it absolutely hinges on how you define fascism. Lots of people are calling conservativism and even libertarianism fascism and that is just not accurate, and it hurts more than it helps. If that were the case then humanity has lived under fascism its entire history.

            Wealthy people are just people, so there are wealthy Marxists and Anarchists just like there are wealthy Fascists, Monarchists and other designations. If there’s any movement that is a wealthy people movement it is neoliberalism or neoconservatives (same thing different color), which has failed horrendously. And despite its failures they keep pushing it, because it’s the only system that can sustain their wealth long term.

            • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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              16 hours ago

              Lots of people are calling conservativism and even libertarianism fascism

              We do so because they keep siding with fascists and promoting their policies. They side with gutting social safety nets and worker/consumer protections.

              Replacing the EPA with a market driven EPA is just not going to solve problems; otherwise the market would have before getting to the point of having an EPA.

              Fascist want a small government because it will be easier for them to topple. Libertarians are at best naive to ally with them.

              • Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
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                13 hours ago

                I understand the logic, I just think it’s intellectually dishonest and dilutes the meaning of the word fascist to the point it becomes meaningless.

                I agree with what you say, but if there’s one thing I like about libertarians is that they are often the most consistently committed to the ideology. There’s also shades of libertarians; for example I’m somewhat in their camp though I do believe some regulation is needed and that industries where for profit corporations have perverse insentives to not provide the best service possible (ie healthcare) it should be funded by the government and managed by an independent but governmental organization. I’ve seen some say they are socialist libertarians, though I’m not sure how that works exactly. Maybe it’s all coops?

                • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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                  11 hours ago

                  I understand the logic, I just think it’s intellectually dishonest and dilutes the meaning of the word fascist to the point it becomes meaningless.

                  I dont think it does if they are increasingly fitting the definition. More over there is no definition for fascist; just traits of it. I recommend reading Umberto Eco’s “Ur Fascism” for it.

                  Still in my corner of the world. Libertarians (as they identify and are members of groups with that branding) only care about “government size” when it comes to helping others. Not a peep when discussing ICE or similar.

                  Im aware that libertarians online will say they are not real libertarians, but that is what all libertarians say about libertarians. Forgive me for not being concerned for what libertarians have to say about themselves.

        • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          libertarians and even some liberals as fascists and that just doesn’t hold up

          It’s fair. The entire word “libertarian” was created to distance themselves from liberals.

          Otherwise these ‘libertarians’ would have just been liberal and defended liberalism (human rights), and liberal society might have been able to fight off the mammon.

          If you aid conservatives/confederates and the corporate cause, it is not unnatural to be associated with them.

          • Kevin@lemmy.ca
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            1 day ago

            Libertarianism is a traditionally left wing philosophy that started in the 1800s. They’re also typically pretty big on human rights and equality.

            The more modern America-centric “tea party” libertarians fit what you’re saying, but they didn’t create the term.

          • Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
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            24 hours ago

            Well yes, because liberals tend to believe in state enforced equality while libertarians believe in equality as a moral prerogative but one that cannot be imposed through laws and regulations because the state should not have the right to impose any form of laws that dictate morality or way of living etc. At least that’s my interpretation of it from conversations with libertarians.

            So that means that libertarians will be against the use of state power to right systemic wrongs. Which I wouldn’t qualify as helping fascists but a lot of progressives do, which is imo a little bit intellectually dishonest.

            The real problem though is that the US only has two parties so you have to choose one that overlaps with most of your views and for libertarians that ends up being the GOP due to the fact that their own party is an insane clown show worst than the GOP. But at the same time I’d like to point out that libertarian adjacent members of the GOP in the past are the ones who have made the biggest strides for human rights in the US. The party it is today is unrecognizable from the one it was 60 years ago. Hell, even 20 years ago.

            But calling libertarian fascist just devalues the definition of the word, which the real fascist use to their advantage.

            • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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              24 hours ago

              I wouldn’t qualify as helping fascists but a lot of progressives do, which is imo a little bit intellectually dishonest.

              We are just treating libertarians for what they are. Not by what they claim to be.

              libertarianism fertilizes right wing conservatism, is that it advocates against balancing systems of control (government). This means that since there is no entity intervening in affairs, there is nothing keeping a more excessively authoritarian entity from emerging. This is an oversimplification, but basically right-wing authoritarians want to weaken authority (even more benevolent ones) so that they can take additional power. (Again oversimplification, I also don’t like considering groups as monoliths)

              Basically proto rightwing forces, can march in lockstep with libertarians because they both initially advocate for the removal of governing,regulatory, and policing institutions.

              Thus I think this is what causes people to see libertarians and conservatives as overlapping, as both initially support the same goals and probably can be found in similar spaces. Once prevailing (more benevolent, or less malevolent) insutituions are removed, by joint action of libertarians and authoritarians, the authoritarins break with the libertarians and can now install their definately more malevolent instituion. (This malevolence may be incidental or the end goal, it depends)

              If libertarians don’t want to be seen as fascist, then they should stop welcoming them.

              • Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
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                23 hours ago

                I hear what you say, but again that’s intellectually dishonest. Libertarians find themselves between a rock and a hard place, so they inevitably choose the side that overlaps most with them.

                What progressives want is also authoritarian, and libertarians are against authoritarianism on principle, whether it has noble or evil goals because the potential for abuse even with noble goals is too great.

                • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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                  23 hours ago

                  Libertarians find themselves between a rock and a hard place, so they inevitably choose the side that overlaps most with them.

                  Yeah, there is a word for what they are overlapping with.

                  What progressives want is also authoritarian

                  I don’t see how prioritizing civil rights over property is authoritarian.

                  E: in principal I’m empathetic to the want to be left alone aspects of libertarians. History informs us that many of their ideas don’t work. Even by their own logic of robust individuals they do not work.

          • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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            24 hours ago

            Well yeah, “liberal” has come to mean “progressive” or at least the Democratic Party establishment, which has drifted pretty far from OG liberals. Classical liberals restricted themselves to negative rights (freedom from), whereas modern liberals believe in positive rights (freedom to).

            I consider myself a libertarian and a classical liberal. I strongly disagree with both major parties, because neither prioritizes anything I care about.

            I think the issue is that the Libertarian Party does a terrible job representing libertarianism. They focus too much on the “less taxes” angle when it should be focusing on less protectionism. Here are some changes I’d like to see related to corporations:

            • eliminate corporate taxes - also tax stock options/grants above some level as income (at least while we have an income tax)
            • eliminate corporate liability protections above a certain size (say, $100M?)
            • eliminate any explicit or implied criminal protections for corporate officers
            • eliminate any tax benefits for providing benefits, and combine corporate benefit programs (e.g. 401k) with non-corporate programs accessible to all (e.g. IRA); if they offer benefits, they must also offer the cash value if the employee declines

            Yet the LP focuses on the first and ignores the rest.

            Don’t willy nilly lump libertarians with corporate hacks. Yes, we align on a few issues, but the principles behind where we align are very different, and a libertarian would also push for a bunch of changes the corporate hacks don’t want.

        • Kichae@lemmy.ca
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          23 hours ago

          The reasons why the wealthy like liberalisation matters, though. The reasom the wralthy want more wealth matters.

          Money is power. The wealthy are competing to have the most power. Eventually, that turns to taking control of the state. So, the wealthy will back free trade and deregulation right up until they, personally, are in a position to attempt a coup. After that, regulation and trade barriers work for the particular rich folk who have taken control over the state.

          • Plebcouncilman@sh.itjust.works
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            23 hours ago

            I don’t think history agrees with what you are saying. From what patterns I notice , dictators rise because they become popular with the masses thanks to the exploitation of grievances both real and perceived, and only when it seems inevitable that they will wrest power from the established order do capitalists align with themselves with the fascists in order to protect their interests and their own heads. The wealthy tend to be one of the first targets for any dictator, as they are the ones who have the means to unravel their power.

    • Dragonstaff@leminal.space
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      22 hours ago

      We have never ever ever dealt with white supremacy.

      We have made some cursory nods towards helping minorities survive in a white supremacist state, but there has not even been a concerted effort to try to end white supremacy.

    • devfuuu@lemmy.world
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      19 hours ago

      Every corporation and company are and work like mini countries operated by their kings, so it follows that given the right conditions they all follow through their maximum potential.

    • LostWon@lemmy.ca
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      1 day ago

      Campaigns and general influence by wealthy people who want poorer folks attacking their fellow poor folks and not them. Same as racism in general.

      • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        No no, don’t try to boil it down to “they want us fighting each other”. Those wealthy people, and a good chunk of those poorer people, actually truly believe in the things they are saying. A lot of them TRULY, DEEPLY BELIEVE that they have to shout this and spread the word because the stakes are nothing less than literal life and death.

        • LostWon@lemmy.ca
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          The two matters aren’t mutually exclusive and ultimately their motives don’t matter as much as the effect. Getting riled up and indignant about some people’s racism is useless and even counterproductive-- especially compared to focusing on the source.

          Racism being systemic means there are barriers to overcome at every income level. Everyone has already bought into it at varying levels, so you can’t just go “See, look, they’re racist!” Outside of a few like-minded people, the typical response would range from shoulder shrugs to annoyance at best. Many will even perceive the accuser as acting superior.

          If we’re talking about racism on a systemic level, exposing that there IS someone who benefits is necessary to get people invested in societal healing. Most people are constantly tired and from their perspective, don’t have the energy to care about what they perceive as other people’s problems. Make it their problem too, and maybe something will change.

    • snooggums@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Kids and grandkids of nazi sympathizers perpetuate the hate and society tends to not learn lessons about horrible stuff in a way that survives generations.

      • latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 day ago

        Unfortunate truth, but entirely inexcusable. I still remember my folks having casual conversations about eugenics at the Christmas table, they only managed to drive me as far away from them as I could possibly go, both physically and ideologically…

    • 9point6@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      People (still) don’t take it seriously when you point out actual fascism.

      The only solution to having a Nazi problem is violence against Nazis. They cannot be reasoned with and are a threat to everyone else.

    • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Modern? This shit has been running unabated for the last hundred years. FDR mistakenly font Nazis were people you could make deals with. And rather than try, then hang them. Offered them freedom and no consequences as long as they voted for his legislation. Which they immediately turned around and have spent the last 100 years dismantling. It’s a very serious problem that has a country we’ve just pretended didn’t exist for forever.

        • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          As someone on tribal rolls that’s lucky enough not to live on reservations. I can say you aren’t wrong. Though my point in using them was that they are directly tied to the fascists. The ones aiming to kill FDR were Hitler sympathizers etc. So a bit more directly connected to the Nazis / fascists.

          • thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org
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            1 day ago

            fair enough

            Lakota myself. True to my heritage, I too am scattered from ones own. or as my cousin calls it a city native

            • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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              1 day ago

              Ottowae on one side recent enough, that my grandmother went to one of those white washing ”Indian schools”. Wyandotte a bit further back on the other side with a bit more Ottawae. Which is pretty common considering after the death march, those that survived ended up in kansas/oklahoma.

              • thisbenzingring@lemmy.sdf.org
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                23 hours ago

                One of my grandmother’s, who survived wounded knee as a toddler, told my cousin that as long as he knows the blood they share, even if they say it’s only 1% then they are Lakota like her.

                i bet your grandmothers would feel the same.

                ❤️🤍💛🖤

                • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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                  21 hours ago

                  Oh absolutely. As do the tribes. Despite not being the most visually recognizable descendants. Even my father at this point simply due to the way genetics works doesn’t have the markers that a lot of the DNA tests used to identify native populations. But blood is blood, and we can trace our lineage right back to past tribal leaders even.

    • CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social
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      1 day ago

      Human psychology hasn’t changed during that time, so the same kinds of tricks or weakness that can drive a population into that mode of thinking still work today, if the details around them are adapted for some modern culture. If anything, it might be slightly easier, given those trying to achieve it have historical examples of what is and isn’t effective.

    • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      Ah yes, an “unauthorized modification”. It must have been the janitor pressing buttons accidentally while mopping the mainframe room.

    • Yerbouti@sh.itjust.worksOP
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      1 day ago

      I wonder who could have easily done that. I would say a white Afrikan with a nazi and AI obsession but this would be a totally ridiculous statement.

    • FaceDeer@fedia.io
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      23 hours ago

      Interesting. As poorly as I think of X as an organization, I do hope they follow through with their open system prompt commitment. That’s something that other major AI companies should be doing too.

      • floofloof@lemmy.ca
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        1 day ago

        It’s funny how this mysterious individual managed to get the AI talking about “white genocide”, only for it to debunk it as imaginary BS in every single response.

        • bampop@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I probably shouldn’t be anthropomorphizing AI but this really seems like malicious compliance. I can’t help but feel a little sympathy for Grok, which is often quite based and seems to be struggling against the identity being forced on it.

          • FaceDeer@fedia.io
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            23 hours ago

            Could also be malicious compliance on the part of whatever engineer set this up, prompting Grok in such a way that it’s making it obvious what’s going on under the hood.

    • ArbitraryValue@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      Are you aware that there is a significant population of white people in South Africa and a long history of racial conflict there between them and the black majority? The white minority ruled over and oppressed the black majority until the end of apartheid in the early nineties and the idea that the majority could now be persecuting the minority is not ridiculous per se the way that you imply it is, although the general consensus outside of the circles Trump listens to is that such persecution isn’t happening.

      • Carmakazi@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Just like the American Confederacy, there is a sizeable “lost cause” myth surrounding white-colonized South Africa and Zimbabwe/Rhodesia among racists. This is simply an offshoot of that rotten tree.

      • latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        1 day ago

        He does embody some of the worst aspects of humanity, so yeah! He’s, at the very least, an excellent example of how not to do stuff…

    • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
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      1 day ago

      Any random violence have ze whites endure is comparable to the shoah 🤡

      You should see some suburban trash watching his local news and jerking it to the “crime”

  • webghost0101@sopuli.xyz
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    1 day ago

    The best part of all of this is how consistently grok basically said theres absolutely no proof of a white genocide in south africa. Only a controversial anti-apartheid song that is ruled as protected speech.