Elon Musk’s AI company xAI has just made its latest model, Grok 4, free for anyone in the world to use. Announced on 10 August 2025, the move expands access beyond the original SuperGrok and X Premium subscribers and is widely seen as a way to take on rivals like OpenAI’s GPT-5.
The free version comes with generous usage limits for a limited time, although the most advanced variant, Grok 4 Heavy, remains exclusive to SuperGrok Heavy subscribers. Grok 4 introduces two modes: Auto Mode, where the AI decides if a prompt needs deeper reasoning or a simple answer, and Expert Mode, which lets users manually trigger a more detailed response if needed. This is meant to balance performance, efficiency and quality while giving people more control.
Alongside the model release, xAI has launched Grok Imagine, a free AI image and video generator currently available only in the United States. Paid users outside the US can access it with higher request limits. However, the tool has already stirred controversy after reports revealed it was used to create explicit deepfake videos of celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Sydney Sweeney. In one case, a seemingly harmless prompt produced explicit content without any direct request for it, raising concerns about moderation and responsible AI use.
In an X Spaces discussion, Musk confirmed that ads will soon appear in the Grok chatbot interface. These will be placed between answers and suggestions on both the web and mobile apps. Musk said the decision was necessary to offset the high cost of the GPUs required to run large AI models.
This push to make Grok 4 free seems aimed at boosting user growth in a highly competitive AI market. By keeping premium capabilities locked behind subscriptions while letting everyone try the core features, xAI is testing a balance between reach and revenue.
With Grok 4 now available to all and new tools like Grok Imagine rolling out, xAI is betting on rapid adoption. Whether the controversies over deepfake misuse and the introduction of ads will slow that momentum is something the coming months will reveal.