Michelle ThompsonElon Musk has introduced an AI chatbot named Grok on his social media platform X, previously known as Twitter. However, as of now, it is only accessible to a limited group of users.
“Before its release, Elon Musk claimed that in several crucial aspects, Grok is the best AI chatbot currently available. He proudly stated that Grok has a penchant for sarcasm and would provide answers with a touch of humor.
However, initial indications suggest that Grok shares common issues with other artificial intelligence tools. While some AI models refuse to respond to certain questions, especially those involving illegal activities, Musk asserted that Grok would tackle ‘spicy questions’ typically rejected by most other AI systems.
In a demonstration by Musk, Grok was asked to provide a step-by-step guide for making cocaine. Its response was laced with sarcasm, claiming it would help before offering generalized information and sarcastic suggestions, ultimately warning against pursuing such a dangerous idea.
Grok also displayed an enthusiastic tone when discussing the trial of crypto-entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried. However, it inaccurately stated the time it took for the jury to deliver a guilty verdict.
Generative AI tools like Grok have faced criticism for occasionally producing factual errors while maintaining a highly convincing writing style.”
The team responsible for Grok xAI was established in July, drawing talent from other AI research firms. It operates as a separate company but maintains close ties to Mr. Musk’s other ventures, including X and Tesla, the electric car company.
Earlier this year, Mr. Musk expressed his desire for his version of AI to be a “maximum truth-seeking AI” focused on understanding the nature of the universe.
One of Grok’s notable advantages, according to Musk, is its access to current information from the X platform. This sets it apart from the initial versions of some competing AI systems, although increasingly up-to-date responses are available to paying customers of other AI tools.
While Grok is currently in a testing or “beta” stage, it will eventually become accessible to paying subscribers of X. Musk announced that the chatbot will be integrated into the X app and will also be available as a standalone app in the future.
During the UK’s AI summit last week, Mr. Musk acknowledged the associated risks of AI development. However, he has been a longstanding advocate of the technology. He co-founded OpenAI, which created ChatGPT, one of the first widely available AI tools. Microsoft has invested in OpenAI, making the tool available on its platform.
Subsequently, Google introduced its rival AI model, Bard, and Meta launched Llama. These tools are designed to generate text answers that mimic human writing, drawing from previously ingested information.
The term “Grok” was coined by science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein in his 1961 novel “Stranger in a Strange Land.” In the book, “grokking” meant to deeply empathize with others.
However, xAI mentioned that Grok was inspired by “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” created by Douglas Adams, which began as a BBC radio series in the 1980s and was later adapted into print and film. xAI described Grok as intended to answer a wide range of questions and even suggest what questions to ask.
It’s worth noting that Grok is currently a “very early beta product” that was developed with two months of training, according to xAI.
