Elon Musk’s xAI Releases Latest Foundational Model Grok 3

Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, has officially launched its latest flagship AI model, Grok 3, late Monday night, alongside a range of new features in the Grok apps for iOS and web users.

Grok 3, designed to rival models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini, introduces advanced capabilities for analyzing images and answering complex questions, setting a new standard in AI-powered customer support and analytics.

Grok 3, which has been in development for several months, was initially slated for release in 2024 but missed its original timeline. Musk’s announcement reveals that Grok 3 benefits from ten times more computing power than its predecessor, Grok 2, with a significantly expanded training data set, including court case filings.

Grok 3 Features and Capabilities

Grok 3 is not just one model but a family of models, offering different variations to suit different use cases. A smaller version, Grok 3 mini, trades off some accuracy for faster response times, ideal for users seeking quick answers.

xAI claims that Grok 3 surpasses GPT-4 in several benchmarks, including AIME, which measures AI performance on math problems, and GPQA, which assesses models using PhD-level questions from physics, biology, and chemistry.

Grok 3’s reasoning models, such as Grok 3 Reasoning and Grok 3 mini Reasoning, allow for more in-depth problem-solving by “thinking through” complex questions, similar to OpenAI’s reasoning models. These reasoning models excel in areas like mathematics, science, and programming, providing a deeper level of analysis compared to standard AI models.

DeepSearch and SuperGrok: Unlocking New AI Features

One of the standout features in Grok 3 is DeepSearch, which allows users to conduct AI-powered deep research by scanning the internet and X (formerly Twitter). DeepSearch delivers abstracted answers to complex queries, offering a sophisticated tool for information analysis.

For premium users, xAI offers SuperGrok, a subscription plan priced at $30 per month or $300 per year. SuperGrok unlocks additional reasoning power, more DeepSearch queries, and unlimited image generation, enhancing the overall user experience with Grok 3.

Grok 3 in Action

During a live-streamed presentation, Musk emphasized that Grok 3 is a “maximally truth-seeking AI,” even if that means challenging politically correct views. This dedication to truth makes Grok 3 a unique model in the AI landscape. Grok 3’s reasoning models have been designed to fact-check thoroughly before providing answers, reducing errors and improving accuracy.

The reasoning models in Grok 3 are optimised for complex queries, such as those related to math, science, and programming, making them an ideal tool for professionals in these fields. Musk also noted that some of Grok 3’s “thoughts” are obscured in the app to prevent distillation, a practice that some AI developers, like DeepSeek, have been accused of using to extract knowledge from other models.

Availability and Subscription Options

Subscribers to X’s Premium+ tier will gain early access to Grok 3, with full access available through the SuperGrok plan. This marks the beginning of xAI’s push to provide cutting-edge AI tools to a wide range of users, with Grok 3 leading the charge.

With Grok 3 now available, xAI continues to compete fiercely in the AI space, offering advanced capabilities that challenge established players like OpenAI and Google. The introduction of Grok 3 signals a new era for AI models, providing users with an unprecedented level of functionality and power.