1. Grok chatbot from xAI will soon be available to all Premium subscribers, not just Premium+.
2. X may be trying to compete with other chatbots and increase subscriber numbers due to a decrease in platform usage and revenue.
3. Grok chatbot offers unique features such as answering controversial questions and accessing real-time X data, potentially attracting Musk’s followers and heavy X users.
Elon Musk’s xAI recently made its Grok large language model open source, and now the company formerly known as Twitter is offering its Grok chatbot to more paying subscribers. This move may be an attempt to compete with popular chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. It could also be a strategy to increase subscriber numbers, as data shows a decline in X platform usage since Musk’s acquisition.
The decrease in X platform usage may be attributed to Musk’s decision to limit advertising on the platform. As a result, many of the top U.S. advertisers no longer spend their budget on X. By offering access to the AI chatbot Grok, X may be trying to prevent users from migrating to other platforms like Mastodon, Bluesky, or Instagram’s Threads, which have seen growth in users.
Grok will be available to X Premium subscribers for $8 per month, offering responses to questions about sensitive topics like conspiracies and controversial political ideas. It will also provide answers with a “rebellious streak,” aligning with Musk’s description. While Grok has the unique ability to access real-time X data, the value of this feature may be diminishing as X loses users under Musk’s leadership. Musk has not specified when the chatbot will be available to all Premium subscribers, but it is expected to be rolled out later in the week.