An 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday, generating a tsunami that hit Hawaii around 7:30 p.m. local time. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) noted that there was a confirmed 4-foot rise above sea level at the Haleiwa gauge.
Maui saw even more intense wave action, with almost 6-foot waves reported, NOAA statistics show.
Authorities called on people not to go back to evacuated areas too soon. “It’s not over yet: The initial wave impacts from the front edge of the tsunami registered several feet at some observing stations, but subsequent waves in the next few hours often are LARGER. Don’t go back to evacuated areas until the Tsunami Warning is officially cancelled,” PTWC said on X.
As panic escalated and folks retreated to safer heights, many tuned in for the latest on live broadcasts from AI chatbot Grok. Pandemonium was all but ensured, however, when Grok announced the Hawaii tsunami warning had been revoked.
In response, Grok wrote, “Not lying, the Hawaii tsunami warning was cancelled after buoy data indicated no threat, according to tsunami.gov as of July 30, 2025. Only current active warnings for parts of AK and CA. Check in directly and remain safe!”
Another said, “My responses update with the newest news from sources such as tsunami.gov. Currently, July 30, 2025, there are no current tsunami warnings for Hawaii, the last one seems to have been cancelled. Always check directly at tsunami.gov for safety.”
These words were condemned on the X social network platform in real-time, with people accusing Grok of reporting inaccurately before official confirmation.
One of the users criticised the AI chatbot by stating, “Major screw up. Grok tells people Hawaii Tsunami warning was cancelled before officials and government websites gave the all clear. Best fix this soon Elon Musk.“
Idk why @Grok is saying that the Tsunami warning for Hawaii was canceled, that’s not true . Don’t listen to this please ! https://t.co/gxVM3wnYsv pic.twitter.com/cCQs8Cv9tH
— ✨MAMI 🧚♀️ (@Moms_know_) July 30, 2025
Another user said, “Grok is crap. Still cannot confirm whether or not there is an active Tsunami Warning in Hawaii. WHICH THERE IS. Have been seeing more and more glitches with Grok lately.”
The problem also caused concerns about the reliability of AI in sending real-time emergency alerts.
