Elon Musk-owned xAI has silently released the free version of Grok. The company’s native artificial intelligence (AI) model is now available to all users on X, although with certain limitations. Grok AI’s interface can be accessed via both the desktop website and mobile app. While there is a rate limit on the free tier, users can access all the capabilities of the chatbot. Additionally, xAI has made its latest and most capable AI model, Grok 2, available on the free tier.

Grok AI Now Available for Free

Launched in November 2023, Grok AI was only available to the paying subscribers of X (formerly known as Twitter) on the Premium and Premium+ tier, which cost Rs. 566 and Rs. 1,133 a month, respectively. However, now the chatbot has been extended to all users. Notably, xAI did not make any official announcement regarding the free tier of Grok.

Gadgets 360 staff members were able to spot the option to use Grok AI on X. The option is available on both the website version of the social media platform, as well as the mobile apps for Android and iOS. Notably, only the Grok 2 AI model is available for free users. Additionally, users will also be able to make use of the Flux image generator, which was made by Black Forest Labs.

Currently, free users are limited to ten questions per two hours and can generate three images per day. Users can also test out the ‘Fun Mode’, which activates a funny side of the chatbot with replies generated in sarcastic and humourous manner. Grok AI can also access the Web, which means users can ask questions about current affairs and even live sporting events. When using Web search, Grok displays all the URLs and web pages used to prepare the answer.

Users can also copy text responses and save images generated by Grok. Additionally, the responses can be regenerated or directly shared on their X account.

How to Use Grok on X

1. Go to the X website or open the X mobile app.
2. In the mobile app, locate the Grok icon (a slash placed inside a square) at the bottom of the screen.
3. On the website, it will be available on the left margin.
4. Tap on the Grok icon to directly enter the chatbot’s interface.
5. Type your prompt in the text field at the bottom of the screen.

Elon Musk-owned xAI has silently released the free version of Grok. The company’s native artificial intelligence (AI) model is now available to all users on X, although with certain limitations. Grok AI’s interface can be accessed via both the desktop website and mobile app. While there is a rate limit on the free tier, users can access all the capabilities of the chatbot. Additionally, xAI has made its latest and most capable AI model, Grok 2, available on the free tier.

Grok AI Now Available for Free

Launched in November 2023, Grok AI was only available to the paying subscribers of X (formerly known as Twitter) on the Premium and Premium+ tier, which cost Rs. 566 and Rs. 1,133 a month, respectively. However, now the chatbot has been extended to all users. Notably, xAI did not make any official announcement regarding the free tier of Grok.

Gadgets 360 staff members were able to spot the option to use Grok AI on X. The option is available on both the website version of the social media platform, as well as the mobile apps for Android and iOS. Notably, only the Grok 2 AI model is available for free users. Additionally, users will also be able to make use of the Flux image generator, which was made by Black Forest Labs.

Currently, free users are limited to ten questions per two hours and can generate three images per day. Users can also test out the ‘Fun Mode’, which activates a funny side of the chatbot with replies generated in sarcastic and humourous manner. Grok AI can also access the Web, which means users can ask questions about current affairs and even live sporting events. When using Web search, Grok displays all the URLs and web pages used to prepare the answer.

Users can also copy text responses and save images generated by Grok. Additionally, the responses can be regenerated or directly shared on their X account.

How to Use Grok on X

1. Go to the X website or open the X mobile app.
2. In the mobile app, locate the Grok icon (a slash placed inside a square) at the bottom of the screen.
3. On the website, it will be available on the left margin.
4. Tap on the Grok icon to directly enter the chatbot’s interface.
5. Type your prompt in the text field at the bottom of the screen.

Elon Musk-owned artificial intelligence (AI) firm xAI reportedly added a new AI image generator to Grok on Saturday. This image generation model, dubbed Aurora, was confirmed by Musk to be internally developed, unlike Flux which was developed by Black Forest Labs. After spotting the tool in Grok, several users posted images that were said to be generated using Aurora. However, just a few hours later, many users reported that the tool disappeared for them. It is speculated that the AI model was taken down due to loose guardrails in generating images of public figures.

xAI Reportedly Added a New Image Generator to Grok

According to a TechCrunch report, a new image generation model was spotted in the Grok interface within the X (formerly known as Twitter) platform. On the model selector option location at the top of the page, users could reportedly choose the “Grok 2 + Aurora” option to access the image generation capabilities of the new model. But interestingly, xAI did not make any official announcement about the launch of the tool.

However, Musk indirectly confirmed the AI model while replying to a post on X that shared several images generated using Aurora. He said, “This is our internal image generation system. Still in beta, but it will improve fast.”

Separately, Chris Park, Director and Co-Head, X Developer Platform at X, congratulated xAI in a post for “releasing a brand new image gen model — Aurora”. Several users also posted images generated using the AI tool. The model appears to be generating images of public figures like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and copyrighted characters such as Mickey Mouse and Luigi. In one instance, TechCrunch was also able to generate an image of US President Donald Trump with a bleeding face.

Due to the lack of an official announcement, no details are available about Aurora’s model architecture, framework, data training approach, or the source of the data used to train the model. It is also not known whether the model was entirely built in-house or it was built in collaboration with a third-party AI firm.

Adding to the mystery, several users reported the disappearance of the AI model just a few hours after its release. Some speculated that Aurora was accidentally launched due to a testing glitch, while others claimed it was due to the lack of guardrails in generating images. While nothing can be said conclusively due to the lack of an official statement, Gadgets 360 staff members did not find the option to use Aurora at the time of writing.

X (formerly known as Twitter) is said to be testing a free version of the platform’s native artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok, several users posted. On Sunday, some users claimed to have received access to Grok despite not being a paid subscriber on X. There are some limitations to the free tier of the chatbot, as per the users, and its availability is said to be limited to certain regions. Notably, the development comes just a week after xAI released the Grok API and announced several incentives for developers to use it.

X Said to Be Testing Free Version of Grok

Several X users including app researchers and AI enthusiasts posted on the platform that the social media company is testing a free version of the chatbot, allowing even those who have not purchased the X Premium subscription to access it. Notably, Grok was released in November 2023, and so far, it has only been limited to the platform’s subscribers.

In a report, TechCrunch confirmed that X is testing the free tier of Grok in New Zealand, however, other regions might also have access to the chatbot. Gadgets 360 staff members were not able to verify the existence of the test. The AI bot also appears to not be available in India. Apart from the free version, Grok is also said to be getting a new logo. The current “Grok” word logo is said to be replaced with a socket-like logo.

One of the X users also detailed several limitations for the free version. According to a reply to another comment, Grok will only be available to accounts that are at least seven days old and have a phone number linked to it.

Currently, non-subscribers are said to get 10 Grok 2 questions every two hours, and 20 Grok 2 mini questions in the same duration. Further, the free tier of the chatbot can also analyse up to three images per day.

Separately, xAI, the company behind Grok, rolled out a Grok API last week. The company also announced several incentives for developers to try out the API such as free credits worth $25 (roughly Rs. 2,100) per month till the end of the year. Additionally, all the developers who have already purchased prepaid credits for the API were given free credits worth the same amount every month till the end of 2024.

Brazil’s Supreme Court cleared X to resume service in the country on Tuesday, after the social media platform reversed course and started complying with court rulings billionaire owner Elon Musk had previously vowed to resist.

Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who had been locked in a months-long feud with Musk, gave X the green light to resume operations in Latin America’s largest country effective immediately.

In the decision, Moraes said X had met all the necessary requirements to start operating again in the country.

The platform formerly called Twitter had been suspended in Brazil, one of its largest and most-coveted markets, since late August after not complying with court orders related to hate speech moderation and failing to name a legal representative in the country, as required by law.

Musk, who had denounced the orders as censorship and called Moraes a “dictator,” started to reverse his position in recent weeks, with his social media network blocking accounts flagged by the court, tapping a local representative and paying pending fines.

Moraes, in his Tuesday decision, ruled that Brazil’s telecommunications regulator Anatel must work to allow X to come back online within 24 hours. Users in Brazil were still unable to access the platform as of 7 p.m. local time.

Through its Global Affairs account, X said it was proud to return to Brazil, adding that it “will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law” in the countries where it operates.

The Brazil dispute was one of a series of recent face-offs between Musk, who views himself as a champion of free speech, and governments including Australia and the United Kingdom seeking to prevent the spread of online misinformation.

Brazil’s communication minister said on Tuesday that X’s decision to pay the fines and comply with court orders was a “victory for the country.”

“We showed the world that here our laws should be respected, by whomever it may be,” Juscelino Filho said in a statement.

Judicial Battle

X’s suspension initially came after an individual ruling by Moraes, who has spearheaded a local crusade against perceived attacks on democracy and the political use of disinformation.

His ruling was later unanimously backed by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court and its chief justice.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also voiced support for the move, saying that people with businesses in Brazil must follow local laws and the world was “not obliged to put up with Musk’s far-right ideology just because he is rich.”

Justices flagged at the time, however, that they would be open to reconsidering the suspension if X complied with rulings. The social media company initially said it would not abide by them because they were “illegal.”

Brazil is X’s sixth-biggest market globally and as of April had about 21.5 million users, according to data platform Statista. During the suspension, many users migrated to rival platforms such as Bluesky and Meta Platforms -owned Threads.

X had legal representation in Brazil until mid-August, when it decided to close its offices in the country due to the orders from the court, which it dubbed “censorship orders,” without naming someone to assume legal responsibilities for the firm locally.

That eventually triggered the suspension, in a judicial battle that also affected another prominent business controlled by Musk, satellite Internet provider Starlink, whose accounts Moraes temporarily froze in order to cover fines imposed on X.

A new X representative, lawyer Rachel de Oliveira Conceicao, was tapped in late September, when X also said it had started to block accounts ordered by the court.

Earlier this month, the firm paid pending fines it had previously disdained, opening the door for reinstatement in the country.

With the suspension, X remained out of service in Brazil during the final month of the country’s municipal elections, which occurred on Sunday.

In many cities, however, including Sao Paulo – Latin America’s largest city – mayoral elections will head to run-offs on October 27.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)