Elon Musk has unveiled a new AI chatbot called Grok on his social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter. However, the chatbot is currently accessible to a limited group of users.
Musk expressed his confidence in Grok, stating on X, “In some crucial aspects, it is the most advanced AI chatbot available today.”
He went on to praise Grok’s sense of humor, claiming it would respond to queries with a hint of wit. Musk emphasized that Grok was unafraid to tackle “spicy questions” that most other AI systems shy away from, setting it apart.
In a demonstration shared by Musk, Grok was asked for a step-by-step guide on making cocaine. It responded playfully with non-specific information and sarcastic suggestions before discouraging the idea.
While Grok showcased a lively tone during a discussion about crypto-entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried’s trial, it made an error in stating the duration of the jury’s verdict, indicating eight hours instead of the correct time of under five hours.
Grok’s release highlights the ongoing debate about generative AI tools, which can sound highly convincing but may contain basic errors.
The team behind Grok xAI, established in July, consists of talent from various AI research firms. Although a separate entity, it maintains close ties to Musk’s other ventures, including X and Tesla.
Earlier this year, Mr. Musk expressed his vision for AI as a “maximum truth-seeking AI” with a focus on understanding the universe’s nature.
He highlighted the advantage of Grok, emphasizing its access to real-time information from the X platform, setting it apart from early versions of AI rivals. While other AI tools offer increasingly up-to-date responses to paying customers, Grok is currently in a beta testing phase, with plans for future availability to X subscribers. Mr. Musk also announced its integration into the X app as well as a standalone app.
During the recent UK AI summit, Mr. Musk acknowledged the risks associated with AI development, despite his longstanding support for the technology. He co-founded OpenAI, which brought ChatGPT to the public last year, with Microsoft also investing in the platform.
In the AI landscape, Google introduced its AI model, Bard, while Meta launched Llama, both designed to generate text responses based on previously ingested information to mimic human-like answers.
Grok, interestingly, draws inspiration from science fiction, with its name originating from Robert A. Heinlein’s 1961 novel “Stranger in a Strange Land,” where “grokking” signified deep empathy. However, xAI stated that Grok’s design was influenced by Douglas Adams’ “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” aiming to provide answers to a wide range of questions and even suggest relevant queries.
Notably, xAI described Grok as a “very early beta product,” acknowledging its limited two-month training period.
