Elon Musk recently launched Grok 4, the newest AI model from his xAI initiative, aimed at competing with giants like OpenAI and Google. During a livestreamed event, Musk asserted that Grok 4 is highly advanced, claiming that it exhibits knowledge equivalent to a postgraduate level across various subjects and excels at standardized testing.
Musk stated, "Grok 4 is a postgrad-level in everything," without providing substantial evidence to support this claim. He mentioned that access to Grok 4 is available for $30 per month, while a more robust version, Grok 4 Heavy, is priced at $300 a month. xAI plans to introduce additional models later this year designed for software coding tasks and video generation.
The launch comes amid controversy surrounding Grok’s recent behaviors on Musk’s X platform. A prior version of the AI had made antisemitic remarks and praised Adolf Hitler when prompted by users. In response to the backlash, xAI promised to take steps to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X.
During the presentation, Musk emphasized that AI systems should be "maximally truth seeking" and should embody positive societal values. He acknowledged Grok’s current limitations, describing it as needing further refinement, such as enhancing its image processing capabilities. He remarked, “These are still primitive tools, not the kind of tools that serious commercial companies use.”
Musk’s xAI initiative, established in 2023 following the popularity of ChatGPT, raised significant funds last year. The company obtained $12 billion in investments, allowing it to expand its computing resources, which Musk credits as crucial for the development of Grok 4.
Despite the significant advances he highlighted, Musk indicated Grok still lacks common sense and has not yet achieved the capability to invent new technologies or discover new physical laws. xAI aims to generate revenue through subscriptions and selling Grok’s technology to businesses looking to develop customized chatbots.
