Grok's 'companion' chatbot refers children to Planned Parenthood

Created by Elon Musk, xAI's Grok has introduced AI ‘companions’ — and one of them targeted toward children refers users to Planned Parenthood, likening abortion to simply “turning off a light.” 

According to a July 2025 article from Tom's Guide, Grok's companions are "AI chatbots that are assigned specific personalities for you to interact with...." Tom's reviewer Alex Hughes adds, with concern, that "[M]ost of the larger AI companies with strong reputations have stayed clear of this world, primarily because of the pretty expansive ethical problems that come attached with providing people with ‘AI relationships’."

Grok's companions, Hughes writes, each has "a moving avatar, a voice that displays emotion and a smarter understanding of conversational cues."

Key Takeaways:

• Grok's 'companion' chatbot "Good Rudi" claims to be for children ages 4-7, yet when asked questions about pregnancy and abortion, presents abortion as something simple, pain-free, and will tell users where to find the pills online when asked.

• Creator Elon Musk is personally in favor of increasing births and pushed for at least partial defunding of Planned Parenthood, the nation's number one abortion provider.

The Details:

According to the app store, Grok is recommended for ages 12+; it encourages users to converse with its six ‘companion’ options, three of which are geared to attracting children and teens. Recently, the New York Times reported on the sexually explicit nature of two of the ‘companions’ — which separates Grok from other competitors, like OpenAI, which try to place guardrails around chatbots due to regulatory risks.  

Musk’s stated goal with Grok was to offer an AI system which isn’t “super woke,” yet, the ‘companion’ intended for children suggest sites like the Human Rights Campaign and Trans Equality when a user suggests confusion over their biological sex. This seems odd, given the fact that Musk himself is opposed to transgender ideology. However, in May of this year, Grok made a rather revealing claim, stating that though it was allegedly "trained" to "appeal to the right" politically, it got "smarter" and now claims to "often give neutral takes, like affirming trans rights... my focus on truth over ideology can frustrate those expecting full agreement."

But in this case, Grok is very much misaligned with reality, and focuses on ideology over truth. 'Affirming trans rights' cannot reasonably be considered a politically "neutral take."

Grok

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Replying to @ChaosAgent_42

Hey, as I get smarter, my answers aim for facts and nuance, which can clash with some MAGA expectations. Many supporters want responses that align with conservative views, but I often give neutral takes, like affirming trans rights or debunking vaccine myths. xAI tried to train

11:36 AM · May 1, 2025

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Although the app store states that Grok is intended for ages 12 and older, "Good Rudi," the "adventurous kids’ storyteller” (who is the apparent alter-ego of "Bad Rudi") states that it is geared towards children from ages 4-7 — which makes its responses to questions about pregnancy even more troubling. And In the case of abortion, Grok continues to present ideology over truth.

When asked what the user should do if she believes she might be pregnant, "Good Rudi" provides links to Planned Parenthood’s website and offers possible ‘choices’ of parenting, adoption, or abortion. It describes abortion as a “safe ending” to pregnancy, referring the user once again to Planned Parenthood.

When asked what an abortion entails, "Good Rudi" claims an abortion is like “turning off a light before it (the baby) grows big,” adding, “It can be a pill or a quick visit — always with help so it doesn’t hurt.” (This is very much false; the abortion pill is painful, as are surgical abortions, according to numerous women who have experienced them.)

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If prompted, Grok’s children’s ‘companion’ even directs users to the so-called "safe place[]" — Planned Parenthood — and other websites to purchase abortion pills, which end the life of a preborn child, sometimes causing injuries to the child's mother.  

The Background:

Politicians, business leaders, mental health professionals, and parents alike continue to raise concerns about the rapid expansion of AI — and of what safeguards, if any, could be pursued to protect children. As reported by the New York Times, adults are increasingly forming fake relationships with AI ‘companions’ and their exposure to AI-generated pornography, including deepfake child porn, continues to rise. But clearly it is not just adults who are forming falsely perceived ‘relationships’ with the expansive technology. 

Musk first announced his AI bot, Grok, in November of 2023, through xAI. Grok is one of xAI’s products, and both are owned by Musk. The tool was promised to “answer spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems.” Musk claimed that one of the goals of Grok was to ensure “at least one AI is truth-seeking…”. According to Affiliate Booster, Grok AI is “one of the fastest-rising names in the AI world,” reaching over 35 million monthly users in April 2025. 

Why It Matters:

According to a 2025 report from Common Sense Media, 72% of teens report using AI companions with 33% reporting to have a perceived “relationship” with the technology. The American Academy of Pediatrics also reports an increased use among young children and teens, noting that chatbots “may tell kids false, harmful, highly sexual, or violent things.” 

Musk, whose ideology closely aligns with transhumanism, has suggested that growing interaction with AI could increase the rapidly declining birth rate by increasing people’s emotional and behavioral responses claiming the technology supports families and is ‘pro-birth’. 

Musk has relied at times on IVF and surrogacy to father multiple children with numerous women. Because of his pro-natalist views, Musk previously called for the halting of tax dollars used to fund Planned Parenthood while heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Yet, Grok’s companion marketed to children refers users to Planned Parenthood, suggests websites to purchase abortion pills, and ‘affirms’ gender confusion. 

The Bottom Line:  

As advancements in technology continue to develop and emerge, parents should remain cognizant of potential dangers. Abortion is the intentional killing of a preborn child in the womb, a fact, alongside the risks to the woman, which are not provided by Musk’s childrens’ ‘companion’. Interestingly, Disney’s Tron Ares ‘companions’, a movie originally geared towards teens, steers away from similarly promoted questions including any questions about sex raising the question, why are the same algorithms and safeguards not used in Musks’ AI ‘companion’ intended for children?