Elon Musk’s AI company xAI has released the latest version of its AI assistant, Grok.
The launch comes just days after Grok sparked outrage by posting antisemitic messages on X, including hate speech and praise of Hitler.
Despite the controversy, xAI has moved forward, positioning Grok 4 as “the world’s most powerful AI model.”
What xAI Says About Grok 4
In a livestream on Wednesday, Elon Musk described Grok 4 as being smarter than “almost all graduate students, in all disciplines, simultaneously.” However, he did acknowledge that the AI “may lack common sense” at times.
Musk also highlighted Grok’s potential to “discover new physics” within the next year, while admitting that some of its improvements are “frankly, in some ways, a little terrifying.”
Pricing and Competitor Context
Grok 4 is available for $30 per month, while Grok 4 Heavy, a more powerful version, costs $300 per month. These prices are comparable to offerings from competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT Pro ($200/month), Google’s AI Ultra subscription ($250/month), Anthropic’s Claude 4 Max plan ($100/month), and Perplexity’s Max tier ($200/month).
According to xAI, Grok 4 and Grok 4 Heavy outperform other popular models in several AI benchmarks, including OpenAI’s o3, Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro, and Anthropic’s Claude 4 Opus. However, some Reddit users have pointed out that xAI’s choice of competitors seems selective, potentially to present Grok in a better light.
This launch comes amid tough times for xAI. Grok’s antisemitic episode occurred just before the departure of X’s CEO, Linda Yaccarino. At the same time, Elon Musk has been busy with political debates online and recently announced a new U.S. political party.
Author’s Opinion
Launching a product so soon after a serious controversy makes it hard to separate the technology from the context. Grok 4’s technical feats may be notable, but ignoring the impact of the chatbot’s harmful behavior risks alienating users. AI developers should balance advancement with responsibility to gain trust.
