Key Insights
- Elon Musk’s new startup xAI has released an AI chatbot called “Grok” to compete with ChatGPT.
- In academic testing, Grok outperformed ChatGPT-3.5 but not OpenAI’s newest GPT-4 system.
- Grok is currently limited to select testers in the US for $16/month, with xAI promising swift improvements as it’s still an early beta product.
Elon Musk’s new AI startup xAI is looking to shake up the chatbot world. The company unveiled its first product “Grok” on Saturday, an AI chatbot aimed at rivaling OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT.
Just released Grokhttps://t.co/e8xQp5xInk
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 5, 2023
Grok outperformed OpenAI’s ChatGPT-3.5
According to xAI, Grok edged out ChatGPT in several academic testing benchmarks thanks to its “real-time knowledge of the world” gathered from Musk’s social platform X (formerly Twitter). While it didn’t outperform OpenAI’s newest GPT-4 system, Grok did outpace ChatGPT-3.5 in tests of math, programming, and other skills.
Example of Grok vs typical GPT, where Grok has current information, but other doesn’t pic.twitter.com/hBRXmQ8KFi
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 5, 2023
Musk and xAI boast that Grok also has more personality than other AI assistants. It’s designed to “answer questions with a bit of wit” and won’t shy away from spicier subjects rejected by more PG chatbots.
After being founded just 8 months ago, xAI is moving fast to compete in synthetic media. The startup credits its rapid progress to exceptional efficiency in training language learning models.
Related: What is Grok AI Chatbot? ChatGPT’s Rival Explained
Price and availability
For now, Grok is only available to a limited number of testers in the US for $16 per month through X’s premium subscription. But xAI says users can expect swift improvement week-by-week as the “very early beta product” is refined.
Musk has stressed that safety is also a priority for xAI. The team says they will implement safeguards against malicious use as Grok develops.
We believe in doing our utmost to ensure that AI remains a force for good, the company stated.
Read also! Tech Leaders Meet with U.S. Lawmakers to Chart AI’s Future
With tech giants racing to lead the AI space, the launch of Grok underscores Musk’s ambitions in synthetic media. It also sets up a clash between X and OpenAI, the startup Musk co-founded in 2015 before leaving its board in 2018. Both companies now aim to be at the forefront of developing beneficial AI.