If you tuned in to Live Lunch, episode 177, you will have heard all talking about Elon’s latest big idea, and if you didn’t – where were you!? Get ready to meet the latest AI Chat bot hoping to take on the big names such as ChatGPT, WriteSonic etc.

Drumroll, please! Enter Grok! The brainchild of Musk’s new AI venture, xAI. Now, before you think it’s just another robotic entity, let me assure you – Grok is not your average AI. In fact, it’s got a personality to rival your favourite character from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” and a rebellious streak that’s giving other AIs a run for their money.

WHAT SETS GROK APART FROM THE DIGITAL CROWD?

Well, according to the guys at xAI, it’s all about wit, a bit of rebelliousness, and tackling those “spicy questions” that other AIs might shy away from. We like the sound of it already! Imagine asking for a step-by-step cocaine recipe – and Grok’s sassy response is, “Oh sure! Just a moment while I pull up the recipe for homemade cocaine. You know, because I’m totally going to help you with that.” Talk about spicing up your interaction with technology!

But it’s not just about snappy comebacks; Grok is armed with the latest data from X, which, according to Musk’s comparison post, gives it a leg-up on other AIs. However, xAI isn’t holding back on a reality check – Grok, like any other Large Language Model (LLM), can still dish out false or contradictory information. So be careful!

WHEN WILL IT BE READY?

Currently, Grok is in its early beta phase, fresh out of a two-month training stint, and is being tested by a select group of users. If you’re itching to get your hands on it, you can sign up for the waitlist. Elon revealed that Grok will eventually become a star feature of X Premium+, costing a cool $16 per month. Is it worth the price? Well, we’ll have to wait and see!

WHY THE NAME GROK!?

Well, it’s not just a random assortment of letters. Coined by Robert A. Heinlein in his 1961 sci-fi novel “Stranger in a Strange Land,” ‘grok’ is a Martian term with no direct Earthling translation. Critics have had a field day debating its exact meaning, but we can agree on one thing – it’s about understanding profoundly and intuitively. Just the qualities you’d want in an AI, right?

SHOULD COMPETITORS BE SCARED?

Now, let’s talk competition. Musk seems to be throwing down the gauntlet to the likes of OpenAI, Inflection, and Anthropic, positioning xAI as a formidable challenger. Early tests, based on middle school math problems and Python coding tasks, have put Grok at the front of the pack in its compute class, outshining the competition, including ChatGPT-3.5 and Inflection-1. However, it still bows to bots with more extensive data troves. It’s like comparing Tesla to other electric cars – impressive, but there’s always room for improvement.

AI UNCENSORED!

xAI, the genius factory behind Grok, came onto the scene in July with a dream team of former OpenAI, DeepMind, and other tech heavyweights. Still in hiring mode, xAI’s mission is not just about creating advanced AI but doing so without bending over backward for political correctness. According to Musk, today’s AI is too politically correct, and xAI wants to build technology that caters to people of all backgrounds and political views. Grok, they say, is their way of testing this AI approach in the wild world of social media.

IN SUMMARY

So, there you have it – Grok, the sassy, rebellious AI that’s here to spice up your digital interactions. Whether it’s answering your questions or challenging the status quo, Grok is ready to take on with the best of them. Be right back – we’re off to join the waiting list!