X’s Grok AI Chatbot Now Free for All Users

X has made its AI chatbot, Grok, accessible to all users, dropping the X Premium subscription requirement. Users can now interact with the chatbot under a freemium model, with 10 free prompts every two hours and 10 free image generations in the same timeframe. However, image analysis remains limited to three requests daily unless users subscribe to X Premium.

The latest iteration, Grok-2, replaces its predecessor, Grok-2 mini. This update was spotted by X users and later reported by The Verge. The company initially trialed Grok’s free tier in select regions, including New Zealand, TechCrunch noted.

Previously, only X Premium subscribers, paying at least $8 monthly or $84 annually, could use the chatbot. This change mirrors the freemium strategies of competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. Additionally, xAI, the company behind Grok, recently raised $6 billion in funding, bringing its total capital to $12 billion. Speculation also suggests a standalone Grok app could be in the works, following the example of other leading AI developers.

Despite these updates, Grok faces criticism for its reliability. Users are warned to verify its outputs, as Grok has made notable mistakes in the past, including spreading false election information. Its image-generation feature has also drawn scrutiny, producing controversial content such as manipulated images of public figures and copyrighted material.

This strategic shift likely aims to bolster X’s user base, which has been dwindling as users migrate to platforms like Threads and Bluesky. Offering free access to Grok could attract users back to X by providing a direct alternative to other free AI chatbots like Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Anthropic’s Claude.