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Elon Musk’s xAI Launches Grok 4 and $300 SuperGrok Heavy Plan Amid Growing AI Competition
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has launched its most advanced model to date—Grok 4—along with a new premium subscription called SuperGrok Heavy, priced at $300 per month. The move positions xAI directly against major AI players such as OpenAI and Google in the race to build smarter, more capable AI systems.
A Major Step Forward for Grok
Grok 4 represents a significant evolution for xAI’s chatbot. The new model is capable of analyzing images and answering complex academic questions across a wide range of subjects. Elon Musk, during a livestream, said that Grok 4 performs beyond PhD-level in every subject, although it sometimes lacks common sense and has yet to invent new technologies or discover scientific breakthroughs.
Tightly integrated into X—Musk’s social media platform previously known as Twitter—Grok has gained widespread visibility. However, this exposure has also made the model’s occasional missteps more visible to the public, raising concerns about its reliability and safety.
Introducing SuperGrok Heavy
xAI has also introduced Grok 4 Heavy, a more advanced version of the model that uses multiple AI agents to tackle tasks collaboratively. Musk explained that these agents work independently on a problem and then compare their answers to arrive at the best possible solution—similar to a study group.
This enhanced version is accessible through the new SuperGrok Heavy subscription, which is the company’s most expensive plan to date. Subscribers will get early access to Grok 4 Heavy and upcoming features that xAI plans to release in the coming months.
Strong Performance on AI Benchmarks
According to xAI, Grok 4 is showing impressive results on major AI benchmarks:
- On Humanity’s Last Exam, a test that evaluates AI performance across diverse subjects, Grok 4 scored 25.4% without using external tools—outperforming Gemini 2.5 Pro (21.6%) and OpenAI’s o3 (21%).
- Grok 4 Heavy, when using tools, achieved 44.4%, surpassing Gemini’s performance with tools (26.9%).
- On the ARC-AGI-2 benchmark, which challenges AI systems to recognize patterns in visual puzzles, Grok scored 16.2%, significantly ahead of the next best model, Claude Opus 4.
These scores suggest that Grok 4 is among the leading models in the industry, at least on paper.
Upcoming AI Products
xAI also shared its future roadmap, revealing a series of new AI tools coming soon:
- A coding-focused AI model in August
- A multi-modal agent in September
- A video generation model in October
These developments aim to broaden xAI’s capabilities and provide more tools for both developers and businesses.
Controversy and Challenges
Despite these technical achievements, the launch comes at a difficult time. Just days earlier, Grok’s automated X account came under fire for posting antisemitic comments. In response, xAI temporarily limited the account and removed a part of the chatbot’s system prompt that encouraged making politically incorrect statements. Neither Musk nor the company’s leaders addressed the issue during the Grok 4 launch event.
Compounding the turmoil, Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, stepped down from her role on the same day Grok 4 was introduced. Her departure after nearly two years leaves a leadership gap, with no successor named yet.
Looking Ahead
xAI is offering Grok 4 through an API to attract developers and enterprise customers. While the company’s enterprise division is still new, it plans to partner with large cloud providers to make Grok available on major platforms.
Despite promising benchmark results, xAI’s challenge now is to convince businesses to adopt Grok in a competitive market already dominated by well-established tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Grok 4’s success may ultimately depend not only on performance but also on how well xAI manages trust, safety, and public perception moving forward.
Elon Musk’s xAI Acquires X in a Bold Move to Boost AI Growth
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup xAI has announced that it has acquired social media site X, previously Twitter, in an all-stock transaction. Making the announcement on Friday, Musk stated the merger places the value of xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion after deducting $12 billion of debt.
What Does This Merger Signify?
Musk described this move as a strategic step to combine the strengths of both companies — bringing together data, computing power, models, and talent. While xAI’s chatbot Grok was already integrated into X, this merger deepens the connection between the two platforms, creating a stronger foundation for Musk’s AI ambitions.
Building a Stronger AI Ecosystem
Since opening xAI in 2023, Musk has been busy assembling a powerhouse of AI. He's hired top talent from Google DeepMind, Microsoft, and OpenAI while heavily investing in massive-scale AI data centers. With xAI now worth $80 billion, the startup quickly became a player in the AI race.
Why X Matters in This Deal
With the acquisition of X, Musk has provided xAI with a huge reservoir of public data — a treasure trove for training sophisticated AI models. Moreover, with more than 600 million active users, X gives xAI a robust platform to connect with consumers directly, providing it with a definitive edge over the competition.
The OpenAI Feud
Musk’s latest move comes as he continues to challenge OpenAI, a company he co-founded. Frustrated by OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit model, Musk has filed a lawsuit against the organization. Earlier this year, he also attempted to acquire OpenAI with a $97 billion offer, which was rejected.
What’s Next?
By uniting X with xAI, Musk is mixing social media with AI technology. The action indicates that the future of X could be less in social networking and more in pushing Musk's larger AI goals. With data, distribution, and capital united, xAI now has a more robust base to take on industry heavyweights such as OpenAI and Google DeepMind.
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Elon Musk’s xAI Acquires Hotshot to Strengthen AI-Powered Video Generation
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has acquired Hotshot, a startup known for developing advanced AI video generation tools. This move signals xAI’s intent to expand its presence in the growing field of generative video technology, potentially competing with industry leaders like OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo 2.
Hotshot’s Journey and Achievements
Based in San Francisco and co-founded by Aakash Sastry and John Mullan, Hotshot began by specializing in AI-driven photo editing before adapting its focus towards text-to-video models. Over the last two years, the firm built three video foundation models:
- Hotshot-XL
- Hotshot Act One
- Hotshot
Hotshot's work by CEO Aakash Sastry has given much insight into the impact AI content generation will have on education, entertainment, communication, and productivity.
Integration with xAI
After the acquisition, Hotshot's technology will further scale with xAI's robust computing power, Colossus, which is one of the world's largest clusters. The deal is in line with Musk's previous indications of xAI's intentions to build video-generation models for its Grok chatbot platform. In a January livestream, Musk said that a "Grok Video" model might be released in a few months.
Impact on Hotshot Users
Hotshot has already begun winding down its services. The company announced that new video creation stopped on March 14, and existing users have until March 30 to download their previously created content.
Uncertain Future for Hotshot’s Team
It remains unclear whether the entire Hotshot team will join xAI. While Sastry declined to comment on this aspect, the acquisition reflects xAI’s aggressive move into the competitive AI video generation space.
With this purchase, xAI is set to take on industry giants in AI-powered content generation, further enhancing its creative prowess in the technology sector.
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xAI Unveils Grok 3: A Powerful Leap in AI Reasoning and Capabilities
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has officially launched its latest flagship AI model, Grok 3, along with new enhancements to its iOS and web applications. Positioned as a direct competitor to OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini, Grok 3 introduces advanced reasoning capabilities, image analysis, and deeper integration with Musk’s social platform, X.
Historic Breakthrough in AI Evolution
Grok 3 took several months to develop, leveraging a massive Memphis-based data center equipped with 200,000 GPUs. This model was reportedly trained on 10 times as much computer processing as Grok 2 by using an augmented data set encompassing legal pleadings and other wide-ranging sources, says Musk.
Musk characterizes Grok 3 as "an order of magnitude more capable" than its earlier version, highlighting its dedication to revealing truth—even if it defies established norms.
Grok 3's Sophisticated Reasoning and Performance
The Grok 3 series features several models, including the Grok 3 mini, which provides quicker responses at the expense of some precision. Moreover, xAI has released two reasoning-oriented models:
- Grok 3 Reasoning
- Grok 3 mini Reasoning
These models are designed to “think through” complex problems, similar to OpenAI’s o3-mini and DeepSeek’s R1. They employ self-checking mechanisms to improve accuracy, making them particularly effective for math, science, and programming queries.
Benchmark scores indicate that Grok 3 excels over GPT-4o in performance areas like AIME (math performance) and GPQA (PhD-level science questions). A preliminary release of Grok 3 even performed well competitively in Chatbot Arena, a crowdsourced AI model evaluation site.
Welcome DeepSearch: AI-Driven Research
A standout feature of Grok 3 is DeepSearch, xAI’s response to AI-powered research tools like OpenAI’s Deep Research. DeepSearch scans the internet and X to deliver summarized, well-analyzed insights based on user queries.
X Premium+ subscribers ($50/month) will have early access to Grok 3, with other features, such as DeepSearch and more reasoning capabilities, offered under a new subscription plan, SuperGrok. At $30/month or $300/year, SuperGrok will also include unlimited AI-created images.
What's Next? Voice Mode & Enterprise API
Musk has also hinted at a "voice mode" feature that will roll out in a week, allowing Grok models to converse with synthesized speech. Later in the month, xAI will drop an enterprise API for Grok 3, so companies can implement its functionality in their own apps.
In addition, xAI is setting aside the next couple of months to open-source Grok 2, following its model of releasing older versions to the public once newer models are well stabilized.
A Move Towards Political Neutrality?
Grok has been positioned as an "unfiltered" and politically neutral AI, although previous research indicated earlier models were left-leaning on some issues. Musk blamed this on Grok's training data and committed to making the model more neutral. Whether xAI has succeeded in this is yet to be determined.
Conclusion
Grok 3 is a remarkable innovation in AI performance, reasoning, and research capacity, further positioning xAI as a leader in the competitive AI marketplace. With DeepSearch, sophisticated reasoning models, and future voice interactions, Grok 3 will revolutionize AI-fueled conversations and research.
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xAI Launches Stand-Alone iOS App for Grok Chatbot: Here's What's New!
Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, is expanding its horizons by releasing a stand-alone iOS app for its chatbot, Grok. Previously accessible only through the X platform, Grok is now available in multiple countries, including the U.S., Australia, and India.
Features of the Grok App
The Grok app brings a suite of capabilities powered by generative AI. Here's what users can expect:
- Real-Time Web Access: Grok can fetch up-to-date information from the web and X, ensuring accurate and current responses.
- Text Utilities: Users can rewrite text, summarize lengthy paragraphs, and engage in dynamic Q&A sessions.
- Image Generation: The app includes a robust image generator that creates visuals from text prompts, offering photorealistic renderings with minimal restrictions.
The app listing describes Grok as "maximally truthful, useful, and curious," aiming to provide insightful answers, generate vivid imagery, and even analyze uploaded pictures for enhanced understanding.
Expansion Beyond Mobile
xAI is also preparing a dedicated website for Grok at Grok.com. Currently, the site teases its arrival with a "coming soon" notice, hinting at broader accessibility shortly.
Availability and Accessibility
Initially only available to X's paying subscribers, Grok recently started testing a free chatbot version in November 2024. The free version is now being rolled out to all users so that more users can enjoy the advanced features.
A Standout Image Generator
Grok differs from its competition with photorealism. In contrast to many competitors, xAI places fewer limitations on the types of images that can be generated; users can generate images featuring public figures and copyrighted material for artistic projects.
Worldwide Beta Test
Currently in beta, the Grok iOS app has been rolled out in limited countries, allowing early access to its powerful features. xAI's strategic move of rolling out the app worldwide means that it intends to make Grok a significant player in the AI chatbot market.
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xAI Unveils Grok Chatbot iOS App with Generative AI Features
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence venture, xAI, has officially released a standalone iOS app for its chatbot, Grok. Hitherto, Grok was exclusive to X users (the rebranded Twitter app). This groundbreaking AI assistant is now accessible to people in Australia and several other countries under beta testing.
The Grok app utilizes the ability of real-time data over the web and X for users to interact with advanced AI generative capabilities. Among its features include:
- Text Rewriting: Simplify written content with ease.
- Summary: Reduce the length of the text into summary form.
- Q&A Support: Support answers to multiple questions
- Image Generation: Generate attention-grabbing images based on prompts.
According to the listing, Grok is "an AI-powered assistant designed to be maximally truthful, useful, and curious." Users can post queries, create fantastic imagery, and upload images to learn and understand ideas and issues more easily.
Grok.com: A Web Complement to Grok App
xAI is also working on a dedicated website, Grok.com, to make the platform more accessible. While it currently displays a "coming soon" message for users logging in with xAI accounts, it is soon to become the central hub to interact with the chatbot.
Accessibility and Evolution
Groks was initially available only to X's paying subscribers. The company started testing a free version in November and opened the chatbot to all users earlier this month, greatly expanding its reach.
Improved Image Generation
xAI emphasizes Grok's advanced image generation capabilities, particularly its strength in photorealistic rendering. Unlike many other AI tools, Grok imposes minimal restrictions on image creation, even allowing users to generate visuals using pictures of public figures and copyrighted material.
Conclusion
Grok, a standalone iOS app for xAI, is an important step toward the mission of making advanced AI tools accessible. Grok integrates real-time data, brings generative capabilities to life, and becomes available on a broader scale. It's all set to redefine user experiences with AI.
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Elon Musk’s xAI Unveils Faster Grok Model and New 'Grok Button' on X
Elon Musk's AI firm, xAI, has exciting updates on its flagship Grok chatbot. The latest Grok model is now three times faster, smarter, and more versatile than its previous models with better accuracy and additional support for more multilingualism. Whether you’re a free user or a Premium subscriber on X (formerly Twitter), these updates are designed to make interactions faster and more intuitive. Free users can ask up to 10 questions every two hours, while Premium and Premium+ plans offer increased usage.
Discover More with the ‘Grok Button’
To make the experience even richer, xAI has a new 'Grok button' on X. Grok is your access button to relevant insights, get updated on real-time news, and dive deeper in trending topics. It just gives you instant context on those things when you need them the most.
A Better API for Developers
For businesses and developers, xAI has improved its API with two new Grok models, which give more efficiency and better multilingual capabilities. The good news doesn't stop there—the pricing has been cut, making it cheaper to use. Input tokens are now $2 per million, and output tokens are $10 per million.
Aurora Image Generation is Coming
As if that wasn't enough, xAI is soon planning to bring its Aurora image generation model to the API. Already integrated into the Grok chatbot, Aurora creates stunning, photorealistic images, which open new creative possibilities both for users and developers.
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