Following X’s announcement of its plans to test a three-tiered subscription service, X’s owner Elon Musk hinted that xAI’s Grok, his new AI chatbot, would be part of the top-tier subscription, X Premium+. Newly released screenshots provide a sneak peek at Grok’s appearance within the X app, offering a glimpse of the feature currently in development on X’s website.
The AI chatbot, created as Musk’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, Anthropic’s Claude, and others, is designed to answer questions in a conversational manner with an added touch of personality. Referred to by the xAI team as modeled after “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” Grok is meant to deliver responses “with a bit of wit” and a “rebellious streak.” Additionally, it aims to address “spicy” questions rejected by other AI systems, while having access to real-time knowledge via the X platform and web browsing capabilities.
Grok was initially released on November 4 to a limited group of testers, with Musk’s announcement on X confirming that all X Premium+ subscribers would eventually gain access to Grok. The new subscription offerings at X include X Premium, X Premium+, and the more affordable X Basic subscription.
While the $3 per month Basic subscription includes features such as the edit button and the ability to post longer articles and videos, it lacks ad removal and has weaker reply-boosting capabilities compared to X Premium. The standard subscription (X Premium at $8 per month) removes half the ads in the For You and Following feeds, adds the Verification checkmark, and supports all Basic features.
Priced at $16 per month or $168 per year, X Premium+ is the highest-tier subscription, eliminating all ads in the For You and Following feeds and introducing a Creator Hub for user monetization through subscriptions and paid posts.
The inclusion of Grok in this tier could enhance the appeal for non-creators as well, ultimately bolstering X’s offering.
Musk has not specified Grok’s launch date for X subscribers; however, a screenshot depicts ongoing efforts to integrate Grok into the X app. Notably, app researcher Nima Owji revealed that Grok was added into the code of the X web app, with its URL set to twitter.com/i/grok. Furthermore, a screenshot showcases how Grok will be integrated into the web app for Premium+ subscribers, featuring the chatbot’s icon positioned on the left-side navigation bar. Contrastingly, the icon stands out with a solid black square and a white slash, distinguishing it from other X icons outlined in black.
Non-subscribers clicking the icon will encounter a message prompting them to “Subscribe to Premium+ to get access to Grok.” Meanwhile, subscribers with access to Grok will encounter a basic chatbot interface to interact with. The interface allows users to type into a box to “Ask Grok” a question and includes a history button for revisiting past queries.
While it was known that Grok would become available to Premium+ subscribers in the following months, its ongoing development in the X web application suggests a potential earlier launch or a prior release to select testers before its public debut on X.
Despite X’s lack of response to requests for comment following Musk’s decision to dismantle its communication team after acquisition, X’s documentation mentions that access to Grok is “coming soon” for the Premium+ tier.
Grok’s continued development coincides with recent developments at OpenAI, where CEO Sam Altman was unexpectedly ousted from the board due to concerns about the pace of AI innovation and communication breakdown. Altman may potentially join OpenAI partner Microsoft to lead an AI team, signaling ongoing changes within the leading AI company.