Elon Musk’s xAI startup is on the verge of unveiling its very first artificial intelligence (AI) model, Grok. Musk broke the news in a series of posts throughout the week. He revealed on Friday that Grok AI would be incorporated into the X Premium Plus package, and he reiterated this announcement on Saturday, mentioning that users could access this premium service for $16 per month on the social media platform.
This marks a significant milestone for xAI as it is the first product to emerge from the company since its establishment by Musk in July. Over the weekend, both Musk and xAI released official statements about Grok, and a dedicated webpage for Grok was introduced on the company’s website.
Grok boasts real-time access to the X platform, setting it apart from other generative AI models. Its name, “Grok,” was inspired by the 1961 novel “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert A. Heinlein, where it signifies a profound understanding that transcends observation, making the observer a part of the observed. In the tech world, “Grok” conveys a deep comprehension of software, technology, or complex subjects.
The book’s use of the term, according to the AI model, refers to a Martian word “that means to understand something or someone so completely that the observer becomes a part of the observed—to merge, blend, intermarry, lose identity in group experience. It’s a deep, almost metaphysical understanding.”
Musk also clarified that Grok’s information output would be sourced from the internet through standard browser searches. The X platform offers various subscription tiers, including Basic, Basic Plus, and Premium Plus, with the latter starting at $16 per month or $32 per year, depending on the user’s location.
Although X and xAI are separate entities, it’s not unusual for Musk’s ventures to collaborate. Notable examples include the Boring Company’s use of Tesla vehicles in underground projects and Musk’s earlier aspirations to incorporate OpenAI’s technology into Tesla. The launch of Grok signifies an exciting step forward in the field of AI and adds to Musk’s portfolio of innovative ventures.