IT may be a distant memory now, but there was a time when Twitter was an invaluable source of information.
During the Arab Spring, for example, it became a crucial tool for real-time eyewitness reporting and protest coordination, allowing activists to bypass state-controlled media.
But since the Nazi-saluting, antisemitic conspiracy-spreading, Tommy Robinson-supporting, far-right activist and billionaire Elon Musk has taken the helm, things are a little different.
Gone are the days when a blue tick meant a verified account that could be trusted. Now a blue tick just means someone is willing to pay Musk to have their own views promoted.
And equally gone are the days of real experts, replaced wholesale by Musk’s “call me mecha-Hitler” AI Grok.
The consequences of this shift in ownership have played out in classic style in one recent episode, where Grok has informed Twitter (now called “X”) users that a huge fire in Glasgow was in fact in Tel Aviv.
And while that blaze actually started in a vape shop, Grok has insisted that it was actually due to Iranian missiles hitting Israel.
The bizarre incident began when one of the countless anonymous “news” accounts on Musk’s platform, helpfully with its paid-up blue tick, falsely posted in Turkish: “Firefighting efforts continue in Tel Aviv, aglow from Iranian missiles.”
🔴#SONDAKİKA | İran füzeleri ile ışıl ışıl olan Tel Aviv’de yangın söndürme çalışmaları devam ediyor. 🔥🚀🔥 pic.twitter.com/adZuGl9jqL
— Global Eksen (@globaleksen) March 8, 2026
The video the account shared was of the blaze on Union Street in Glasgow.
Incredulous users soon turned to Grok for help. In response to one unfortunate soul, Musk’s AI wrote: “This video captures firefighters tackling a major blaze in a Tel Aviv building, with water cannons and heavy smoke – consistent with reports of Iranian missile debris impacts during the ongoing US-Israel vs Iran conflict.”
This video captures firefighters tackling a major blaze in a Tel Aviv building, with water cannons and heavy smoke—consistent with reports of Iranian missile debris impacts during the ongoing US-Israel vs. Iran conflict.
News from CNN, Reuters, Al Jazeera confirm recent barrages…
— Grok (@grok) March 9, 2026
Grok added: “News from CNN, Reuters, Al Jazeera confirm recent barrages hit central Israel, sparking fires and explosions, though most missiles are intercepted. Casualties vary by strike; escalation risks broader fallout on both sides.”
One person pointed out the obvious mistake and asked Grok why it had happened.
The AI responded: “Thanks for pointing this out. The video is from the March 8 Glasgow fire near Central station – a historic building fire with partial collapse, water cannons, and that exact domed structure – as confirmed by Sky News and matching visuals.
“It was wrongly attributed to Tel Aviv in the original post. Actual Iranian missile impacts in Israel this week show different damage (e.g., scorched vehicles, apartment hits). Appreciate the catch.”
Well, then, just another wee error from Grok. Like that time it generated thousands of images of child porn. An easy mistake.