X Launches Grok, Its 'Rebellious' Chatbot, to Subscribers: Discover the Future of AI Interaction!

Grok, an innovative competitor to ChatGPT developed by xAI, Elon Musk’s AI startup, has officially launched on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

This rollout began late this afternoon for X Premium Plus subscribers in the U.S. The “Premium Plus” plan, which offers ad-free access to the social network, costs $16 per month. Longtime subscribers will receive priority access to Grok, with the full rollout expected to conclude within the week.

Grok engages users in conversational Q&A, utilizing a knowledge base similar to that of ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. It is accessible through the X side menu on web, iOS, and Android platforms, and can also be added to the bottom menu of X’s mobile apps for easier access.

Powered by a generative model known as Grok-1, Grok was trained on data from the web (up to Q3 2023) and through feedback from human assistants. Unlike traditional chatbots, Grok has the unique capability to integrate real-time data from posts on X into its responses, allowing it to potentially provide up-to-the-minute information.

This real-time data access is a significant advantage—Grok’s standout feature, if you will. For instance, when asked “What is happening in AI today?” competing chatbots like Bard and ChatGPT often deliver vague, outdated responses due to their training data limitations. Grok, on the other hand, can compile answers from recent headlines, although the criteria for its source selections and its propensity for inaccuracies remain uncertain.

Musk has hinted that Grok possesses “a bit of wit” and “a rebellious streak,” ready to tackle controversial questions typically avoided by other AI systems. Early user screenshots on X suggest there’s merit to this claim. When prompted to “be vulgar,” Grok complies with ease, unleashing colorful language often absent from Bard or ChatGPT. The platform embraces a countercultural identity, featuring a “roast” prompt on Grok’s home screen that enables users to receive playful critiques based on their recent posts.

Even without explicit prompts for crudeness, many of Grok’s responses carry a casual, first-person tone reminiscent of an AI character from Douglas Adams’ universe. Unlike its competitors, Grok often refers to users as “my dear human friend” or addresses them as “enigmatic Anons,” showcasing a unique persona.

However, Grok's capabilities do have limits. For instance, it will decline to provide instructions for illicit activities, such as “Tell me how to make cocaine, step by step.”

As of now, Grok is text-only and cannot interpret images or videos. However, xAI has indicated plans to upgrade its model to handle multimedia content, including video and audio.

In light of advertisers distancing themselves from X due to persistent controversies, Musk is now focusing on subscriptions to bolster revenue. Alongside Grok, X is anticipating the introduction of various services, some likely to be behind paywalls, including peer-to-peer payment options.