Elon Musk's artificial intelligence venture, xAI, recently teased a new AI model named Grok, which is set to rival ChatGPT in the text-generating AI market. Grok, as Musk hinted, has the ability to answer questions in a conversational manner, leveraging a knowledge base akin to those utilized by ChatGPT and similar text-generating models.
What is Grok?
Grok, an AI model developed by Musk's AI startup, xAI, has been designed to provide conversational responses to user queries. Much like ChatGPT, it features internet browsing capabilities, allowing it to gather current information on a variety of topics. However, Musk suggested that Grok would not respond to certain sensitive inquiries, indicating a more conservative approach compared to ChatGPT.
"Grok is designed to have a bit more humor in its responses." - Elon Musk
Features of Grok
Grok's capabilities align closely with those of ChatGPT, including internet browsing abilities that enable the AI model to search the web for up-to-date information on diverse topics. However, Musk suggested that Grok might decline to answer certain sensitive questions, indicating a more cautious stance than ChatGPT.
Musk also shared a screenshot hinting that Grok might possess a sense of humor in its responses. Whether these responses are pre-programmed or the system is designed to inject humor into its responses remains unclear.
Grok's Release
Originally, Musk announced that xAI would release its first AI model, presumably Grok, to a selective group. However, he later revealed that all subscribers to xAI’s Premium Plus plan, which costs $16 per month, would gain access to Grok once it exits the early beta phase.
About xAI
xAI, spearheaded by Elon Musk and a team of experts from DeepMind, OpenAI, Google Research, Microsoft Research, Tesla, and the University of Toronto, was launched in July with the ambitious objective of developing AI capable of understanding the true nature of the universe. The company collaborates with various companies, including Tesla, and is advised by Dan Hendrycks, director at the Center for AI Safety.
Musk’s AI Ambitions
Musk's interest in AI has intensified since his departure from the OpenAI board in 2018 due to the company's shift towards commercial projects. Musk's goal is to create a “maximum-truth-seeking AI” and Grok could be a significant step toward realizing this aspiration.
Grok signifies xAI's entrance into the AI model market, offering a potential alternative to ChatGPT with its conversational question-answering capabilities and internet browsing features. As xAI continues to refine its models, it remains to be seen how Grok will compare to existing text-generating models.
