Grok Fact-Check on MSNBC’s Boston Protest Footage Proven False

MSNBC faced accusations this weekend over footage it aired of the “No Kings” protest in Boston, Massachusetts, when Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok incorrectly claimed the network had used video from a 2017 rally. The controversy quickly spread across social media platforms, particularly among right-wing influencers, despite being demonstrably false.

The disputed aerial footage showed a massive crowd gathered at Boston Common, a historic city park on Tremont Street, during Saturday’s demonstration. Grok’s erroneous “fact-check” alleged that MSNBC had repurposed footage from a 2017 rally to exaggerate attendance at the current anti-Trump protests.

BBC Verify journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh conducted an independent investigation into the claims, conclusively determining that the footage was authentic and current. “The video was filmed during yesterday’s protest in Boston,” Sardarizadeh confirmed in his report. “The exact same aerial view of the crowd can be seen in multiple other videos of the protest in Boston posted by local news outlets yesterday.”

Sardarizadeh employed reverse image search technology to verify the footage’s authenticity, noting that “reverse searching multiple frames from the clip brings no results earlier than yesterday, which means the clip isn’t old and first appeared online yesterday.”

The incident highlights growing concerns about AI tools being used to spread misinformation, particularly during a contentious election season. Grok, which was launched by Musk after his acquisition of Twitter (now X), has previously faced criticism for providing inaccurate information on various topics.

MSNBC has not yet issued an official response to the false claims propagated by Grok, though the network’s reporting has been vindicated by independent fact-checkers.

The “No Kings” protest in Boston was indeed a significant gathering, with organizers estimating approximately 125,000 attendees. The demonstration drew support from prominent Massachusetts political figures, including Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, all of whom made appearances throughout the day.

The Boston rally was part of a nationwide day of action organized by the “No Kings” movement, which reported approximately 7 million participants across multiple cities. The demonstrations represented one of the largest coordinated protest efforts against former President Donald Trump since he secured the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential race.

The movement’s name itself reflects concerns about authoritarian tendencies, with organizers emphasizing democratic principles and resistance to what they characterize as potential threats to American democracy.

This misinformation incident underscores the challenges media organizations face in the current information landscape, where AI tools and social media can rapidly amplify false claims before verification processes can occur. It also raises questions about the responsibility of AI developers and platform owners to ensure their technology isn’t contributing to the spread of misinformation during politically sensitive periods.

As the presidential campaign intensifies, media literacy experts warn that voters should remain vigilant about verifying information from multiple sources, particularly when claims about media manipulation emerge on social platforms.