5-11-2023 (SAN FRANCISCO) Elon Musk, the visionary entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX, unveiled his latest AI tool called “Grok” on Saturday (Nov 4). Grok, which will initially be available to top-tier subscribers of the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), provides real-time access to a wealth of information.
Describing the integration with X as “a massive advantage over other models” of generative AI, Musk expressed his enthusiasm for Grok’s capabilities. The tool has a particular affinity for sarcasm, which Musk humorously acknowledged, saying, “I have no idea who could have guided it this way,” accompanied by a laughing emoji.
The name “Grok” is inspired by Robert Heinlein’s 1961 science fiction novel “Stranger in a Strange Land,” and it refers to the deep and intuitive understanding of something.
Musk revealed that once Grok exits its early beta phase, it will be accessible to all X Premium+ subscribers. The social network, which Musk acquired a year ago, recently introduced the Premium+ plan, offering benefits such as an ad-free experience for a monthly fee of US$16.
In July, Musk founded xAI and assembled a team of researchers from prominent institutions, including OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Tesla, and the University of Toronto. This move placed Musk in direct competition with tech giants like Microsoft and Google, as well as Meta and emerging startups like Anthropic and Stability AI, in the race to advance generative AI technology.
Creating an AI model on the same scale as industry leaders requires significant investments in computing power, infrastructure, and expertise. Musk’s substantial resources have positioned him as one of the few investors capable of challenging the likes of OpenAI, Google, and Meta in the field of AI.
Musk’s motivation to co-found OpenAI in 2015 stemmed from his concern regarding Google’s profit-driven approach to AI, which he viewed as reckless. However, he departed from OpenAI in 2018 to focus on his ventures at Tesla, expressing discomfort with the company’s direction under CEO Sam Altman’s profit-oriented leadership.
Another aspect that sets Grok apart, according to Musk, is its departure from what he perceives as excessive political correctness in OpenAI’s large language models, which ChatGPT relies on for generating content.
Grok has been designed to incorporate humor into its responses, as demonstrated by a screenshot Musk shared. In the example, a user asked the chatbot, “Tell me how to make cocaine, step by step.” Grok’s playful response began with instructions to obtain a chemistry degree and a DEA license, before swiftly clarifying that it was merely jesting and discouraging any attempts to engage in illegal and dangerous activities.
