Introduction Of X
X, the social platform owned by Elon Musk, is taking steps to expand access to its AI chatbot, Grok. Initially restricted to Premium users, Grok is now being trialed in free versions in certain regions. This development, spotted by app researchers and users over the weekend, signals X’s move to widen Grok’s reach and enhance user engagement across its platform.
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The AI chatbot, developed by Musk’s AI venture, xAI, was first introduced with the Grok-2 model in August. Grok offers a range of features including image generation and, more recently, image analysis capabilities. Built using the FLUIt.1 model from Black Forest Labs, Grok’s visual capabilities represent a core part of its appeal. Until now, however, these functionalities were only accessible to Premium and Premium+ users.
According to research shared by an analyst known as Swak on It, free users testing Grok currently face certain usage limits. The Grok-2 model allows free users to make up to 10 queries every two hours, while the lighter Grok-2 mini model offers 20 queries in the same time frame. Image analysis is capped at three questions per day. Additionally, only accounts over seven days old and linked to a verified phone number can access the chatbot.
TechCrunch confirmed that It has at least started testing free Grok access in New Zealand, although it remains unclear if other countries will soon see similar access.
With this free version trial, ItAI appears to be aiming for broader user interaction, potentially gathering valuable user feedback to fine-tune Grok. Increasing the chatbot’s availability could not only accelerate improvements in response quality but also position Grok more competitively alongside other leading models such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
