This week, while OpenAI introduced a pricier subscription tier for ChatGPT, Elon Musk’s Grok is charting a different course.
Free X Users Now Have Access to Grok
Now, anyone with an X account can interact with the witty chatbot, which was previously reserved for paying members of the platform who subscribed to the Premium tier at $7 a month.
However, there are some stipulations. Grok requires that your X account be older than one week and linked to a phone number. Additionally, users can only send a maximum of 10 messages to the chatbot every two hours, and there is a daily cap of three image analysis queries.
If you’re interested in trying out Grok, you can find it on the X website or app. To use it on the website, click on Grok from the sidebar (or go directly to Grok). In the app, tap on the Grok icon located in the bottom navigation bar, next to the search option.
Grok functions similarly to other chatbots: simply input your question or describe the image you want analyzed. I tested a few queries and image descriptions on my free X account, and it all worked seamlessly.
Allowing free users to experiment with Grok could potentially convert them into paying subscribers for X. Additionally, Grok might evolve into a robust search engine for the platform.
Could Grok Become a Standalone App?
Recently, there have been reports suggesting that Grok may soon launch as a free, standalone app, competing with platforms like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Meta AI. This standalone app could be available as soon as this month.
While other competitors have long provided free AI chatbot options, this marks Grok’s debut to a wider audience. The chatbot is infused with sarcasm and humor, a distinct feature attributed to Musk’s involvement in its creation.
Grok first hit the market late last year but has struggled to keep pace with rivals in terms of user base and features.
One of Grok’s main competitors, ChatGPT, recently unveiled an expensive subscription option, the $200 monthly ChatGPT Pro plan, which grants unlimited access to OpenAI’s latest technology.
