X offering Grok AI chatbot for free to select users
Social networking platform X is expanding access to its AI chatbot Grok, a product of Elon Musk's xAI. Previously, the chatbot was exclusive to Premium subscribers, but now, it's being tested for free users in select regions. TechCrunch confirmed the development after multiple app researchers and users reported about a complimentary version of Grok, being available in certain areas over the weekend.
New Zealand users get 1st access to free Grok
The first testing of Grok for non-paying users is ongoing in New Zealand. A researcher named Swak on X, has disclosed that there are usage restrictions for this trial phase. These include 10 queries every two hours using the Grok-2 model, 20 queries every two hours with the Grok-2 mini, and a maximum of three image analysis questions per day.
User requirements
To be eligible for the free version of Grok, users need to meet certain criteria. Their account must be at least a week old and linked to a valid phone number. The move to offer Grok for free is viewed as xAI's strategy to expand its user base, and speed up feedback for product improvement.
Grok's market competition
Grok-2, the upgraded version of the chatbot with image generation capabilities, was introduced by xAI in August. It is powered by Black Forest Labs's FLUX.1 model. Recently, the company enhanced the model with image understanding abilities. However, these features were previously only accessible to Premium and Premium+ users on X's platform. With this new strategy, xAI hopes to compete more effectively against other market players like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
