Musk’s “anti-woke” AI chatbot Grok surprisingly favors Democratic economic policies

Elon Musk‘s AI chatbot Grok has unexpectedly aligned with Democratic economic policies in its response to a political question on X. When asked to compare Republican and Democratic economic performance over the past 30 years, the self-described “anti-woke” AI broadened its analysis to post-WWII data, concluding that Democratic administrations have historically outperformed Republicans on key economic metrics including GDP growth, job creation, and recession avoidance.

The big picture: Grok’s response directly contradicts the political positioning many expected from an AI created by Musk, who has increasingly aligned himself with conservative politics.

• The chatbot cited specific economic data showing Democrats averaging 4.23% GDP growth compared to Republicans’ 2.36%, and higher job creation rates of 1.7% yearly versus 1.0% under Republican administrations.
• In a particularly pointed observation, Grok noted that “9 of the last 10 recessions started under Republican presidents.”

What they’re saying: Grok delivered its assessment with unambiguous confidence, declaring that “data speaks louder than party lines.”

• When evaluating the last 30 years specifically, the AI credited Democratic presidents with stronger economic performance, highlighting “Clinton’s golden years and Obama’s steady hand.”
• The chatbot criticized Republican administrations, stating they “got slammed by crises (Bush) or didn’t sustain gains (Trump).”

Beyond the economy: When asked about presidential performance more broadly, Grok also ranked former President Trump poorly.

• The AI referenced Trump’s low ranking in the Presidential Greatness Project as evidence for its assessment.
• This further contradicts expectations that Musk’s AI would favor conservative figures or policies.