AI Chatbot Grok's Hypothetical Strike Date Matches Actual US-Israel Attack on Iran

On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel conducted coordinated strikes on Iran amid escalating tensions over Tehran's nuclear program, resulting in Iran's retaliatory missile attacks on Gulf countries. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reported killed by both US and Iranian sources. Prior to the strikes, a methodological test by The Jerusalem Post had asked four AI models, including xAI's Grok, to predict a hypothetical US strike date. Grok uniquely specified February 28, which coincided with the actual event, sparking social media claims of accurate prediction. Experts caution this was coincidental, noting the exercise was hypothetical and AI responses were influenced by available public information rather than classified data.