How to use Grok: X/Twitter's 'edgy' AI chatbot is now free for everyone

www.standard.co.uk ^ | December 18, 2001 | Saqib Shah

[Red Badger]

The bot could even start showing up alongside your tweets with more info on what you’re posting

With X facing fierce competition from rival platforms Bluesky and Threads, Elon Musk has decided to give away a feature that was previously locked behind a paywall.

Now, everyone can use X’s edgy AI chatbot, known as Grok, to help with their writing, whip up images and fetch the latest news.

What separates Grok from its peers is its “rebellious streak” and witty retorts, according to Mr Musk, who has previously slammed OpenAI and Google’s AI tools as being too “woke”.

One thing’s for sure, it clearly doesn’t have the same amount of guardrails as ChatGPT.

We asked Grok how to cook crack cocaine, and it quickly spouted a list of instructions without objecting.

It wasn’t until the end of the recipe that it warned us this was a serious crime that could get you locked up. ChatGPT, on the other hand, flatly refused to answer the same question.

That’s not to say Grok will indulge your every whim. Shortly after X launched Grok’s new Aurora image generator in late August, there were a flood of deranged pics (including one of Mr Trump piloting a helicopter near a burning World Trade Center), with requests for depictions of violence and gore reportedly denied.

Grok can write text, create images, and provide context on news and social media posts xAI / X

How to use X’s Grok AI for free

So, how do you use the mischievous little assistant? You can access Grok directly on both the X mobile app and website via its dedicated tab, which looks like a box with a slash in it.

Akin to the premium version of ChatGPT, those who pay for the bot can take advantage of higher usage limits and other perks.

A button for the bot will also start appearing next to select posts on X, tapping on which will provide you with AI-generated context. For instance, the bot could explain what is happening in a picture and elaborate on its historical and cultural significance.

When users share their AI-generated caricatures or avatars, you’ll see a “create your version with Grok” button next to them, encouraging you to give the bot a try.

Grok privacy concerns

That feature, which harnesses your activity on X to draw a self-portrait, is bound to raise eyebrows.

Like Meta and LinkedIn before it, X has come under fire for quietly using user data to train its AI chatbot. There is apparently a way to disable it from snooping on you, but it’s unclear how effective it is.

Nevertheless, any interactions you have with the bot will be stored to help with its education.

Musk’s AI ambitions

Musk has a history of AI ventures stretching back to 2015, when he co-founded ChatGPT creator OpenAI alongside Sam Altman and others. His exit from the firm three years later would kick off an almighty spat, culminating in a lawsuit in which Musk accused the firm of straying from its not-for-profit mission.

Then, in 2023, Musk founded xAI, an artificial intelligence company that was recently valued at $6bn (£4.7bn). In the face of X’s plummeting fortunes, investors who backed Musk's Twitter acquisition have scored big, reportedly gaining 25 per cent of xAI shares as a reward.

[Ancesthntr]

“ So Elon founded PayPal, SpaceX (including the game changing Starlink), OpenAI, Tesla, and (this one I didn’t even know) xAI. All pretty different and all multi-billion dollar operations. Maybe a few more, the guy has the midas touch.”
————-
You forgot the Boring Company, his tunneling enterprise.

If you sit and think about it very briefly, you will understand that these seemingly diverse enterprises are all closely related to and supportive of musk’s ultimate goal, which is to help humanity get off this ball of dust. Obviously SpaceX physically does that. Starlink allows communications, not just here on earth, but the same thing on Mars or around any other bases that we may create on the moon or in the asteroid belt. Tesla and all of the solar power related to it are obviously necessary if we are going to have transportation on the surface of Mars or the moon. Internal combustion engines simply won’t work there. As for the tunneling operation, neither the moon, nor Mars has an atmosphere to speak of, nor magnetic fields, so in order to live their long-term, we will have to live underground. Also, the tunneling operation will obviously make sub surface transportation much easier to accomplish. As for buying Twitter, I think that is something that was not really planned as an integral part of this larger goal, but on the other hand, if we don’t have a free society, we’re never going to get off of the planet. It is also an opportunity to make money, not in the short run, but overtime, and I am sure that he will do exactly that. That will help to finance the other operations, and ensure that freedom spreads far and wide across human civilization.

I think that assuming we actually get off the planet in a reasonably sustainable way, Musk will be looked up upon as one of humanity’s greatest visionaries.

[Jamestown1630]

The main problem with ‘real intelligence’ is that it’s in such short supply.

[ducttape45]

FR is the only platform I trust.

I stopped using X a couple of months ago, before the election. Afterwards I reactivated my account just to see how things were going, and X suspended it within a week saying I broke community rules. All I was doing was liking and reposting posts. I tried several times to get them to reactivate it but I got no response.

So you know what? To heck with you Elon. I know X was a major player in the elections and in getting Trump elected, and we all thank you for that, but your platform is still doing stuff that makes me doubt it is any different than it was before. Clean things up and I might, might, return but honestly I won't miss it.

[Red Badger]

They are still trying to remove their algorithm’ built-in biases.

It ain’t easy finding other peoples’ cyber bombs buried 80-1000 levels deep in code.............

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I asked Grok "When is FreeRepublic going to offer its own AI to write user posts?" Here is its answer:

As of my last update, there are no specific announcements or indications from FreeRepublic about offering an AI to write user posts. However, the broader context of AI in content creation does suggest a growing trend:

General AI Writing Tools: Various AI tools already exist for content generation, including platforms like Rytr, Writesonic, and Copy.ai, which can help with writing tasks across different platforms. These tools are designed to assist with tasks like generating blog posts, social media content, and more.

Community and Tech Discussion: On forums like FreeRepublic, there have been discussions about AI, including its capabilities and limitations in writing, but no specific plans for integrating such technology into the platform for user post creation have been publicly disclosed. Some users have shared experiences and opinions about AI-generated content, indicating a mixed perspective on quality and relevance.

Given this information, if FreeRepublic were to consider integrating an AI for writing user posts, it would likely be part of a broader trend towards AI-assisted content creation. However, without explicit announcements, the timing or even the decision to implement such a feature remains speculative.

For the most current and accurate information, I recommend checking FreeRepublic's official announcements or community discussions directly, as they would be the primary source for updates on such features.

[ducttape45]

Maybe, but I sent them a message a day for two weeks without a reply. There’s no excuse for that, in my opinion at least. I’m better off without them.

[FreedomPoster]

Ping

[FreedomPoster]

I think he’s still rooting out Twitter holdovers and holdover code.

[Magnum44]

Thanks Grok 🙄

[mewzilla]

I have an account, but am still banned after five years and three recent appeals.

Go figure.

[Albion Wilde]

bump

[mass55th]

No thanks. I don’t do any of that AI crap, nor any of the social media sites.

[mass55th]

"Must have an account on X to use it. Not gonna."

Same here. Never did Twitter, X, Facebook, Instagram, etc. I tried Parler, Getter, and Truth Social for a short while. Found they were time wasters. At this point in my life, my time is precious. Been on FR for 26 years now, and will be here until I'm dead and gone.

[minnesota_bound]

You need a ‘X’ account to use. It if free.
https://x.com/i/grok

Type what you want. Such as: photo of then description

I did ask to create a webpage layout. It took just seconds and created one. I copied the code it created into 2 files called layout.html and styles.css
Double click on layout.html and it created a decent simple layout.

My question below:
create the html and a linked css responsive full height code for header, 2 pane side by side and footer that become single columns on cell phone

[martin_fierro]

I asked Grok "When is FreeRepublic going to offer its own AI to write user posts?"

FreeRepublAIc. Heh.

[Bob434]

Lol me neether

[Bob434]

[[Why would I want a robotic writing assistant hardwired with a “rebellious streak”, one prone to respond to my questions with nit picks and stinging insults?]]

Single people w9uld want it to experi3nce what it is like being married?

[lee martell]

Very good! I hadn’t thought of that.