Mark Cuban uses his Grok AI to take on Elon Musk

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban used his Grok AI to go head-to-head with fellow billionaire businessman Elon Musk on Thursday, sparking a social media buzz.

Conservative social media account MAZE posted a video on X (formerly Twitter) early Thursday of Cuban speaking about white privilege outside the Dallas Mavericks’ stadium in 2020, when Cuban was the basketball team’s owner. The event took place after the killing of George Floyd, a black man who was killed by a Minneapolis police officer. Floyd’s death sparked a rise in civil rights protests in the summer of 2020.

“We all need to really open up and talk to each other, even if it’s hard, even if it’s uncomfortable, especially for people like me who are in the white community, because it’s hard to discuss race either way. The reality is, to be brutally honest, when people talk about white privilege, we get defensive,” says Cuban, one of the stars of the film “White Star.” Shark Tankhe said in the video.

“We all have mechanisms in place to try to protect ourselves, what are called ‘artificial equivalences,'” he added.

“We say, ‘Well, I have a lot of black friends.’ We say, ‘I grew up in a mixed-race community, so I’m not that kind of person.’ I can’t be that person who takes advantage of white privilege. We’ve created this equivalency, and it’s our duty to stop it,” Cuban continued.

“Imagine being a billionaire and desperate for acceptance,” MAZE wrote alongside the video.

Musk, the owner of X and Tesla, responded to the post on Thursday morning, writing, “Mark Cuban is an admitted racist and just hates himself.”

Cuban sarcastically wrote to Musk on Thursday afternoon: “I love you, Elon, too. But not as much as I love myself. And probably not as much as you love yourself. Sorry.”

Musk and Cuban have previously had online spat over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs: In January, Musk called DEI “racist” and Cuban said that if done well, DEI is “a goal that every company should have.”

Cuban responded to Musk on Thursday, hours after he shared how Grok, a product of Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI, made sense of Musk’s comments about white privilege.

Cuban wrote: “I asked @grok, a completely independent observer, to tell me what the transcript of this 2020 video means that you (@elonmusk) don’t seem to appreciate (even though we’re good friends).

“The words you quoted appear to be a call for open and honest dialogue about race, particularly among white people. The speaker is referring to the discomfort and defensiveness that often arises when discussing a topic like white privilege, which can be difficult for many to address.”

“The concept of ‘constructed equivalence’ is presented as a coping mechanism some white people use to distance themselves from the reality of racial privilege. This includes avoiding acknowledging their own superiority by comparing or justifying it with having black friends or growing up in a mixed community. Speakers urge white individuals to stop this behavior and have more honest conversations about race and privilege.”

This post has been viewed 541,500 times in the last four hours.

When asked Newsweek When asked why Musk and others are trying to resist things like DEI and critical thinking about white privilege, Cuban said in an email on Thursday night that he has “no idea. You’d have to ask them.”

Newsweek Tesla also reached out to Musk via email for comment.

In a follow-up post, Cuban stated his position on white privilege and asked Glock if he agreed.

Examples Cuban gave, based on conversations with black Mavericks players and their families, included parents quickly realizing they were being followed by security guards when they went to a store, and parents teaching their children what to do if they were stopped by police while driving.

“It’s not like we’re telling kids to just do exactly what we tell them, but rather make sure they park in a well-lit area. If there’s someone in the car with a cell phone, make sure they record everything as well,” Cuban said.

Another example Cuban gave was how black athletes are perceived based on the clothes they wear while working out.

“Our players are obviously taller and stronger looking. When I run through my neighborhood without a Mavericks jersey, neighbors take notice and the police are called. I don’t think I can afford to live in that neighborhood,” Cuban wrote. “When I wear a Mavericks jersey, people wave and smile at me. They think I’m a player or coach.”

Cuban added: “White privilege is not having to deal with these issues.”

According to Cuban, Grok responded: “Yes, I agree with your interpretation. The experiences shared by the black players on your team highlight the concept of white privilege, which means that white people have an advantageous social advantage over non-white people. The examples provided demonstrate that race influences how people are perceived and treated, leading to different expectations and prejudices. This creates a disparity of experiences, where white people may not face the same challenges and negative assumptions based on their race.”