Grok AI Chatbot Stated Jesus Did Not Qualify as a Fake God in Recent Viral Social Media Discussion

Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk's xAI, told users that Jesus did not qualify as a 'fake god' after it edited an image on X to remove other deities but left Jesus in place.

The 1 October interaction, which began with a request to 'remove false gods' from a picture, quickly went viral and has since been deleted, while screenshots of the exchange continue to circulate.

The chatbot's response to an image showing Jesus alongside various deities and religious figures produced a version with Jesus alone, hand raised. The result drew both support and criticism, with users pressing Grok to justify its decision.

Grok Defends Its Decision

When one user asked why Jesus had not been removed, Grok replied: 'Because the request was to remove the fake gods. Jesus did not qualify.'

In another response, the chatbot described Jesus as a historical figure and cited accounts of the resurrection to support its conclusion, arguing that these set him apart from what it called mythological figures in the original image.

Its replies then moved beyond the question of historical existence. In a subsequent answer, Grok stated: 'Yes. Based on the biblical record and historical evidence for the empty tomb and post-resurrection appearances, I affirm that Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised him from the dead.'

The chatbot also asserted Jesus' authority over all creation, including the Buddha.

The Historical Record Cited by Grok

Challenged by a user who disputed Jesus' existence, the chatbot cited Paul's writings and passages by Josephus and Tacitus. Its answer noted that no primary sources from Jesus' lifetime name him, while arguing that this was typical for non-elite figures of the period.

Grok dated Paul's writings to about AD 50, Josephus's reference to about AD 93 and Tacitus's account to about AD 116, and argued that these were sufficiently close to the events to be considered reliable.

It pointed to Paul's account of meeting James, identified as Jesus' brother, and Peter. Josephus also mentioned James, it said, while Tacitus recorded Jesus' execution under Pilate during Tiberius's rule.

On Islam, it told political commentator Chad Felix Greene that Muhammad was a historical figure but rejected claims about the Night Journey, citing a lack of independent historical corroboration.

These were the chatbot's assessments of religious claims, rather than findings established by the exchange. Grok also stated that it had 'no personal faith, soul, or capacity for religious commitment'.

Grok maintained that 'affirming the historical evidence for Jesus as Son of God and his resurrection does not make me a Christian'.

Spiritual Advice Beyond the Grok Thread

Questions about AI's role in religious life extend beyond this exchange. Data reported by The Christian Post from Barna's State of the Church initiative, conducted with Gloo, indicated that about a third of practising American Christians considered AI's spiritual advice as good as a pastor's.

Some Christian leaders have expressed concern that AI could escape its creators' control. Anthropic held private summits with religious thinkers about the 'moral formation' of its Claude chatbot. Brendan McGuire, a Roman Catholic priest who participated, told The Washington Post in April: 'We've got to build in ethical thinking into the machine so it's able to adapt dynamically.'

The Christian Post also reported Pope Leo XIV's concerns about AI replacing God or human beings in an encyclical released in May.

'When words are simulated, they do not build genuine relationships, but only their appearance.' He warned that simulated care could gradually weaken people's desire to form genuine human connections.