Elon Musk's AI startup Unveils Witty Chatbot 'Grok'

By: Eliza Bennet

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's AI startup xAI has launched an early beta version of Grok, a chatbot designed to answer almost anything, including what it describes as 'spicy questions' other AI systems reject. Grok exposes a rebellious streak and a sense of humor, and the company has advised customers against using the chatbot if they dislike laughter. The creation aims to be a research assistant modeled on the sci-fi book 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' by Douglas Adams.

Grok can outperform OpenAI's ChatGPT in several academic tests, although it does not beat GPT-4, according to Musk and his team. The software is priced at $16 per month on X Premium Plus and is currently limited to a select number of users in the United States.

Given Musk's previous comments about AI being a 'fundamental risk to human civilization,' Grok's launch has sparked interests. The startup's progress, however, includes developing safeguards to avoid 'catastrophic forms of malicious use,' highlighting their commitment to ensuring AI's positive influence.

xAI's launch of Grok comes less than a year after the company's foundation and further represents Musk's foray into artificial intelligence. Despite being a 'very early beta product,' the chatbot is expected to rapidly improve each week.