NEW YORK: Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, introduced its new chatbot, “Grok,” claiming that AI should be accessible and useful to people from all backgrounds and political views. Grok, described as a “frontier large language model,” has been in development for four months, and Musk showcased its capabilities through a series of screenshots on X, the platform where Grok operates.
According to xAI, Grok possesses a sense of humor and a rebellious streak, making it different from other AI systems. The chatbot is designed to answer spicy questions rejected by most other AI systems, reflecting its distinct personality. Musk emphasized that Grok was still in its early beta stage, with limited access for users.
One of Grok’s responses showcased its sarcasm when asked about Sam Bankman-Fried, who was recently convicted in a $10 billion fraud case related to his cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Grok’s witty response amused Musk and highlighted the chatbot’s ability to incorporate humor into its interactions.
However, the introduction of Grok raises questions about the political dimension of AI, as customers might evaluate not only the accuracy of AI responses but also the alignment of its politics with their own beliefs. xAI’s team, consisting of professionals from renowned organizations such as DeepMind, OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, has emphasized Grok’s real-time knowledge of the world via the X platform.
Grok’s Primary Purpose is to Assist Humanity
Despite the lighthearted interactions and humorous exchanges, xAI reiterated that Grok’s primary purpose was to assist humanity in its quest for understanding and knowledge. The chatbot will be available to X’s Premium+ subscribers after undergoing a series of beta testing phases.
Grok’s debut coincided with Musk’s recent prediction that advanced AI tools could eventually replace all jobs. This development follows Musk’s previous involvement in discussions about the ethical development and deployment of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the importance of safety protocols and expert vetting in the industry.
