X's new AI chatbot, Grok, is now available to all Premium+ subscribers in the United States. Elon Musk announced the full US rollout = today via X (formerly Twitter), signalling the company's official entry into the conversational AI chatbot landscape.
Grok AI (beta) is now rolled out to all đť•Ź Premium+ subscribers in the US.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 8, 2023
There will be many issues at first, but expect rapid improvement almost every day. Your feedback is much appreciated.
Will expand to all English language users in about a week or so. Japanese is next…
However, Musk has cautioned that the initial release will face numerous issues—it's a beta release after all. He enecouraged user feedback to refine Grok's capabilities and user experience, and promised frequent updates.
Japanese users—who represent X's second-largest user base—will gain access to Grok next. Musk's says Grok will be available in all languages by early 2024.
Grok, developed by xAI—a new AI startup led by Elon Musk—has been described as a "rebellious" AI chatbot. Its integration into X's platform is a bold step, particularly given the company's user base and content. A major competitive advantage of Grok is the ability to have access to both real-time and historical tweets.
As a result, in some cases, while not as capable as other foundation models, interacting with Grok can feel much more satisfying. In our tests, we found the ability to ground responses in real-time data to be helpful in providing more relevant responses. In the example below, we were able to ask about Mistral's newly released AI model and get an appropriate response.
The introduction of Grok is a strategic play in X's subscription model. Currently, Grok is available only to Premium+ subscribers, who pay $16 per month. The pricing sits far above X's Basic and Premium lower tiers.
The chatbot's success in driving subscription revenue remains to be seen, especially when free alternatives like ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, and Bard exist. Premium+ must offer substantial additional value, with Grok acting as a cornerstone, to expand paid adoption.
With brands rapidly departing X's previously advertising-centric business model under controversial circumstances, subscription growth could prove a pressing need. Time will tell if Grok's unique capabilities can help convert users and bolster X's finances. Either, Musk is moving full steam ahead with xAI, and is well on his way to raising $1 billion in funding.