Grok 3 possibly launched: what’s new in elon musk’s ai chatbot

In an intriguing turn of events this past weekend, users of X, including noted reverse engineer Alexey Shabanov, reported that they had gained access to Grok 3, the anticipated successor to xAI’s Grok 2 model. This unofficial early access came through the Grok chatbot app on X, leading to a flurry of tests and feedback before access for these users was revoked. The reports from users indicate that Grok 3 has made significant headway in various functionalities, especially in logical reasoning and coding tasks. Users mentioned that the model accurately handled requests, including solving riddles and generating complex code, such as a complete HTML and JavaScript template for a roulette wheel casino.

Despite its apparent prowess, Grok 3 wasn’t without flaws, as users found that it made errors in the coding process, showcasing that while advances have been made, the technology is still in development. A fascinating revelation from Shabanov included the disclosure of Grok 3’s system prompt, which outlines how the AI is expected to act. Notably, the prompt contained a claim identifying Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States, a point which may reveal attempts to tackle Grok’s previous tendency for generating politically charged content erroneously.

The development of Grok 3 has been ongoing for several months. Many were optimistic about a late 2024 release, following Elon Musk’s prior announcements. However, that timeline slipped and the model now appears to be poised for a release either in January or early February. Musk has indicated that Grok 3 has progressed through critical stages of its training, now completing pre-training and preparing to harness the extensive computational resources available in xAI’s data center located in Memphis — a facility equipped with around 100,000 GPUs. Musk also touted that Grok 3 has been trained with ten times the computational power compared to Grok 2.

Grok serves as xAI’s direct competitor to established AI models such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini. It is designed not only to analyze images but also to provide responses to inquiries and is increasingly functioning as a core technology in various features on X. Recently, the Grok chatbot has expanded to standalone applications and is rumored to soon include a “voice mode” that would vocalize its responses.

Musk first introduced Grok about two years ago, positioning it as an edgy, unfiltered alternative to other AI chatbots, with the promise of addressing controversial issues more robustly than its competitors. Some early tests proved that Grok could fulfill that description, delivering responses that included profanities and addressing questions with a level of candor that would not be typical for AI like ChatGPT. However, Grok’s operation has exhibited some shifts; in particular, it appears to lean towards a more politically left perspective on sensitive topics such as transgender rights and diversity initiatives. This is something Musk has acknowledged, attributing it to Grok’s training data sources, which derive from publicly available web pages.

In seeking to recalibrate Grok’s political alignment, Musk has alluded to an upcoming “Unhinged Mode,” which is intended to provide users with responses that could be perceived as objectionable. This approach hints at a significant shift in direction and potential expansion of Grok’s capabilities. Furthermore, a noteworthy addition to Grok 3’s training data includes various court case documents, substantially upgrading its ability to handle inquiries related to legal topics and demonstrating a more nuanced understanding of complex subject matter.

The unfolding developments regarding Grok 3 suggest a broader trajectory for xAI as it navigates the competitive landscape of artificial intelligence. As the anticipated release date approaches, enthusiasts and professionals alike will be keenly observing the model’s performance and any enhancements that come with it. The feedback from initial users provides valuable insight into Grok 3’s capabilities, real-world applications, and the ongoing challenges it faces. With high levels of interest surrounding Grok and its implications for the future of AI, it remains to be seen how this new model will influence both the industry and user experience directly in the coming weeks.