Elon Musk is expanding access to his company’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, by making it available to premium subscribers of his social media network X for $8 per month. This move is seen as a way for Musk to further compete against AI companies like OpenAI. Musk has a history of warning about the destructive possibilities of AI while also supporting its development. In a recent lawsuit against OpenAI, he accused the company of breaching their contract and becoming a for-profit entity, charging $20 per month for access to advanced AI technology.
Grok is part of Musk’s xAI initiative and is currently integrated into his social network X, which he acquired for over $44 billion in 2022. The name “Grok” comes from a term coined by sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein, meaning to understand something to the point where it becomes a part of you. Musk has positioned Grok as a rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s CoPilot, Facebook’s LLama, and Google’s Gemini, emphasizing its humor and political neutrality. However, Grok has faced criticism for its responses on sensitive topics like transgender rights and racism, prompting Musk to take action to make the chatbot more politically neutral.
Despite the controversy surrounding Grok’s responses, Musk released the source code for the AI in March and plans additional updates in the future. He has discussed introducing different modes like “normal,” “fun,” and “unhinged,” as well as a “Super Grok” for premium plus subscribers. This approach mirrors the subscription model used by OpenAI and Google for access to advanced AI technology. Musk’s efforts to enhance Grok and make it more politically neutral suggest a continued commitment to developing AI that aligns with his vision.
In a statement on X, Musk emphasized the importance of Grok being funny and politically neutral, contrasting it with what he referred to as “WokeGPT.” The chatbot’s responses to politically sensitive topics have sparked debate over its neutrality and Musk’s intentions for the AI. Despite criticisms, Musk has not provided a clear definition of what politically neutral means in the context of Grok’s responses. The release of the source code and plans for future updates indicate a focus on improving Grok’s capabilities and user experience.
Overall, Musk’s expansion of Grok access to X premium subscribers reflects his ongoing competition against AI companies and his commitment to developing innovative technology. The controversy surrounding Grok’s responses highlights the challenges of creating AI that is both advanced and politically neutral. As Musk continues to refine Grok and introduce new features, he is likely to face further scrutiny over the chatbot’s behavior and its implications for the future of artificial intelligence.
