After Elon Musk’s xAI announced the open-sourcing of its Grok large language model in March, the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, is set to expand access to the Grok chatbot. In an update shared on X, Musk revealed that Grok will now be available to Premium subscribers, not just those on the higher-tier Premium+.
This move could indicate a desire to compete more directly with other popular chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, or it could signal X’s attempt to bolster its subscriber base. Recent data suggests a decline in X usage, with a reported 18% year-over-year decrease in the U.S. as of February and a 23% decrease since Musk’s acquisition, according to Sensor Tower data cited by NBC News.
Addressing Declining Usage and Revenue Challenges
Musk’s anti-advertising stance may have also impacted revenue prospects, with Sensor Tower reporting that 75 of the top 100 U.S. advertisers on X in October 2022 no longer allocated ad budgets to the platform.
The introduction of an AI chatbot like Grok could potentially retain X users who might otherwise migrate to other platforms such as Mastodon, Bluesky, or Instagram’s Threads. Musk did not specify the exact availability date for Grok to X users but mentioned that all Premium subscribers would have it enabled later in the week.
X Premium, priced at $8 per month (or $84 per year on the web), previously limited Grok access to Premium+ subscribers, priced at $16 per month or $168 per year.
Grok’s unique features, including its ability to respond to inquiries on typically off-limits topics like conspiracies or controversial political ideas, along with its “rebellious streak” as described by Musk, may appeal to Musk’s followers and dedicated X users. Notably, Grok possesses the capability to access real-time X data, a feature unmatched by competitors.
However, the value of this data under Musk’s leadership may be diminishing amid X’s declining user base.
See also: Vibrant Planet Utilizes AI For Land Mapping And Enhancing Climate Resilience
