Elon Musk has unveiled a new AI chatbot called “Grok” on his social media site X (formerly Twitter), marking another foray into the world of artificial intelligence. While Musk touted Grok as one of the best AI chatbots in existence, it currently has limited availability, with access restricted to selected users.
Musk highlighted Grok’s penchant for sarcasm and humour, promising that it would deliver answers to questions with a touch of wit. He also claimed that Grok could handle “spicy questions” that most other AI systems would typically reject.
However, early assessments suggest that Grok encounters similar challenges that other AI models face, such as avoiding certain types of problematic content. During a demonstration, when asked for a guide to making cocaine, Grok responded in a nonchalant and sarcastic manner before discouraging any pursuit of such a request.
Grok is part of a project led by Grok xAI, initiated in July, which comprises talent from various AI research organizations. Although it operates as a distinct entity, it maintains close ties to Musk’s other ventures, such as X and Tesla.
One advantage of Grok, according to Musk, is its access to real-time information from the X platform. This feature sets it apart from its competitors, although some other AI models have begun offering up-to-date responses to paying customers.
Currently, Grok is in a testing or “beta” stage, but Musk intends to make it accessible to paying subscribers on X. He envisions integrating Grok into the X app and offering it as a standalone app in the future.
Musk has long been both an advocate and a critic of AI technology, recognising its potential while also acknowledging its potential risks. His venture into AI includes co-founding OpenAI, the organisation behind ChatGPT, one of the earliest widely available AI tools. Other tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Meta have since launched their own AI models designed to generate human-like text answers using stored information.
Grok, named after a term from Robert A. Heinlein’s science fiction novel “Stranger in a Strange Land,” aims to provide comprehensive answers and suggest appropriate questions, despite being a “very early beta product.” It aligns with Musk’s vision of AI as a “truth-seeking AI” that delves into the understanding of the universe.
