X tests free version of AI chatbot Grok

X is testing a free version of its AI chatbot, Grok, aiming to make advanced conversational AI accessible to a wider audience

Grok, an AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s other business xAI, is now only available to premium, paying users of social network X. The site appears to be getting ready to make the chatbot available to free users, though.

A number of app researchers and users shared information over the weekend on the release of a free Grok version for users in specific areas.

It was confirmed by TechCrunch that X is at least testing Grok’s free user access in New Zealand.

There are currently restrictions on usage, per a researcher on X who goes by the handle Swak: Three picture analysis questions per day, ten Grok-2 model queries every two hours, and twenty Grok-2 mini model queries every two hours.

You must have a phone number associated with your account and be at least seven days old in order to use Grok for free.

In August, xAI released Grok-2, which was supported by Black Forest Labs’ FLUX.1 model and had image generating capabilities. The business also enabled the model to comprehend photos late last month.

Up until now, only Premium and Premium+ members had access to all of these features. In order to better compete with other models on the market, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, xAI may be seeking a larger user base and a quicker feedback loop for its products by making Grok available to free users.

The Wall Street Journal revealed last month that xAI, valued at $40 billion, was in negotiations to raise several billion dollars.