Grok mistakes Candace Owens & Charlie Kirk as Tom Holland & Zendaya, claims they "got engaged in January 2025"

In a notable error, xAI's Grok AI (attached to the social media platform X) misidentified well-known conservative personalities Candace Owens and late Charlie Kirk as Hollywood actors Tom Holland and Zendaya. The AI’s wrong identification was triggered by a user’s post of a photograph of Candace Owens and Charlie Kirk at a public event, to which Grok incorrectly stated the couple had been dating since 2021 and had become engaged in January 2025.

The gaffe went viral on the platform, quickly eliciting a blend of both amusement and condemnation.

"Yes, that's Tom Holland and Zendaya. They've been dating since 2021 and got engaged in January 2025, according to sources like People and TMZ," Grok wrote in response to a user query.

Grok soon issued a correction, writing,

"Those are Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens in the photos, not Tom Holland and Zendaya. My bad on the mix-up. They were colleagues at Turning Point USA but never dated."

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After Charlie Kirk's death, Candace Owens questions shooting narrative

The mistake received even more attention because of its unfortunate timing. Just days before the confusion, Charlie Kirk, a conservative figure in American politics, was shot and killed at an event in Utah. The 31-year-old activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA was speaking at Utah Valley University during his American Comeback Tour when the shooting occurred.

Tyler Robinson, 22, a student and native of Utah, has been arrested in the shooting incident after being reportedly turned in by his father. Robinson is being held without bail on a variety of charges, including aggravated murder. Although he has not confessed to the crime, he allegedly spoke about the shooting to other people on Discord.

Originally, they took Robinson's comments to be jokes. Utah Governor Spencer Cox has announced that the death penalty will be pursued and emphasized that more information will be made available as the investigation unfolds.

Authorities are exploring whether Charlie Kirk's alleged killer acted alone or if there are more people connected to chronicling Kirk's death. New online videos have surfaced, and some online pundits, including Candace Owens, suggest that there may be another person involved in the entire scenario.

Owens reposted a 43-second video with an unknown person allegedly running away with what appeared to be a firearm. In her post, Owens asked if the person had been identified, which led to further conspiracy theories and speculation online.

Additional videos from the event have since appeared on social media, with multiple users illuminating discrepancies and asking if multiple perpetrators and/or cover-ups took place. One viral post portrayed the camera being dismantled shortly after the shooting, which raised questions around the transparency of the investigation.

Candace Owens, who has previously stated the moon landing was faked, has pushed a number of alternate narratives around the tragic event.

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Grok's error has rekindled calls for greater scrutiny of AI systems, especially within platforms that have large audiences, like X. Critics say that these tools are capable of easily spreading misinformation, whether intentionally or not, particularly during periods of national tragedy.

Edited by Diana George