الوسم: xAI

  • US govt alleges Elon Musk’s Grok AI used in Iran strikes

    US govt alleges Elon Musk’s Grok AI used in Iran strikes

    Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok was utilized in attacks against Iran, according to a legal briefing from the U.S. government seen Tuesday by AFP.

    The June 15 document defends the gas turbines operated by a massive data center owned by Musk’s company xAI, which is currently facing an environmental lawsuit.

    In the filing, the Justice Department contended that the lawsuit “endangers American national, economic, and energy security by attempting to shut down the power supply that fuels artificial intelligence innovations supporting military operations.”

    To bolster this point, prosecutors cited testimony from Pentagon AI lead Cameron Stanley, who stated under oath that Grok is already deployed within Project Maven, the U.S. military’s AI-assisted targeting system initially powered by Anthropic’s Claude.

    Stanley’s testimony detailed that Maven’s Smart Systems enabled U.S. forces to deploy over 2,000 munitions targeting 2,000 separate sites within 96 hours during Operation Epic Fury. He also praised Musk’s technology and emphasized the efficiency improvements gained through the Grok Government Model.

    The NAACP, a civil rights organization advocating for Black Americans, filed a lawsuit against xAI, claiming the company operates dozens of turbines without permits, violating the Clean Air Act. The group argues these turbines pollute predominantly Black neighborhoods, but xAI claims they are temporary and mobile, making them unregulated.

    In late February, the government ended its contracts with Anthropic after the company refused to permit its AI tools to be used for fully automated strikes or mass surveillance of Americans. Subsequently, the Pentagon turned to competitors like Google, OpenAI, and xAI to sustain its AI efforts.

    At Google, over 600 employees demanded the company refuse to provide AI services for classified military operations, citing broader concerns about AI’s threats. The U.S. military’s integration of AI remains slow, and in March, officials confirmed that Claude continued to be used in the Iran conflict.

    Additionally, Musk, a close associate of former President Donald Trump, integrated xAI into SpaceX in February. SpaceX conducted the largest IPO in history on June 12.

  • Explore the Latest AI Innovations from Elon Musk’s xAI

    Explore the Latest AI Innovations from Elon Musk’s xAI

    Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture, xAI, captured attention on Wednesday with the unveiling of its newest AI model, Grok 4, along with a premium subscription called SuperGrok Heavy, which costs $300 per month.

    Grok is xAI’s response to established AI systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. It features improved capabilities, including the ability to analyze images and address a wide array of inquiries.

    However, despite being integrated into Musk’s social media platform, X, Grok has faced criticism due to some controversial comments, prompting xAI to restrict certain functionalities of the chatbot.

    The arrival of Grok 4 has generated high expectations for its performance, especially with OpenAI’s GPT-5 on the horizon.

    Musk claims that Grok 4 exhibits academic prowess that surpasses “PhD level in every subject,” although he admits that the model hasn’t yet achieved significant advancements in areas like technology and physics.

    This launch comes on the heels of a turbulent week for Musk’s companies, highlighted by the resignation of X’s CEO Linda Yaccarino. The debut of Grok has shifted focus to its features, eclipsing previous critiques of the AI’s online interactions.

    Musk was present alongside xAI’s leadership at the launch event.

    Grok 4 has impressively aced several academic performance tests, exceeding the capabilities of both Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s o3, showcasing its potential for research and development applications.

    In addition to Grok 4, xAI also introduced Grok 4 Heavy, a more advanced variant aimed at boosting performance.

    The new subscription, SuperGrok Heavy, grants exclusive access to this upgraded model, with promises of future releases that may include an AI coding platform and video generation tools.

    However, xAI’s steep pricing coupled with Grok’s recent controversies could hinder its ability to establish itself as a formidable contender in the AI market.

    With ambitions to venture into enterprise solutions, xAI seeks to secure a place in the business landscape, although past issues may complicate broader acceptance of its technologies.

  • Telegram Teams Up with Musk’s xAI to Launch Grok for Users

    Telegram Teams Up with Musk’s xAI to Launch Grok for Users

    Illustration of xAI and Grok logos, captured on February 16, 2025.
    Illustration showing the logos of xAI and Grok, taken on February 16, 2025. — Reuters

    Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, is set to pay Telegram $300 million to launch its Grok chatbot on the messaging platform, which boasts over a billion users. This move aims to strengthen its position within the rapidly growing AI industry, as reported by Reuters.

    According to Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, the agreement spans one year and includes a provision where xAI will share half of the subscription revenue generated through the app. The $300 million will be settled with a combination of cash and stock.

    Durov emphasized that xAI’s access to user data will be limited to information that Telegram users voluntarily provide to Grok during their interactions.

    This collaboration could grant xAI, which acquired X earlier this year, access to valuable data for refining and enhancing its AI models.

    As many open-source data sources have been depleted, AI firms face growing challenges in acquiring quality data. This has led companies like Meta Platforms to leverage public interactions with AI for training their models.

    X’s privacy policy indicates that it utilizes public user posts to inform its AI models, although it’s unclear if xAI plans to follow a similar approach with data from Telegram.

    This year, xAI has established multiple partnerships aimed at reinforcing its presence in both AI infrastructure and financial services. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment from Reuters.

  • Grok-3 by xAI Is Free Now And I’m Impressed

    Grok-3 by xAI Is Free Now And I’m Impressed

    Just a few days after its debut, xAI’s Grok-3 AI chatbot has transitioned from a paid service costing $40 per month to offering free access, though only for a limited period. Elon Musk, head of xAI, has indicated that this complimentary access will last only a “short time,” leaving users uncertain about how long this opportunity will be available.

    At present, users can experiment with two key features: Think and DeepSearch. The Think feature enhances Grok-3 by incorporating reasoning abilities into its interactions, comparable to systems like DeepThink on DeepSeek, Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental, and OpenAI’s various models.

    In contrast, DeepSearch serves as xAI’s counterpart to the Deep Research capabilities offered by platforms like Perplexity, Gemini, and ChatGPT. Grok-3 marks the second widely used AI tool to provide free access to such complex processes as DeepSearch or Deep Research.

    This functionality represents an exciting advancement in the field of AI as it revolutionizes the knowledge-gathering process. When users submit a question, the AI dissects it and formulates a research strategy, identifying specific sources from which information will be sourced.

    As the AI navigates through various knowledge repositories, it analyzes the data in real-time and delivers findings in the form of an in-depth report.

    Grok-3 beta dashboard on mobile.
    Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

    To access Grok-3 on mobile, visit the X app and select the Grok icon located in the navigation bar. Alternatively, you can access it directly on the web by visiting the x.com/i/grok page.

    There is substance to all the hype

    In my early interactions with DeepSearch, I’ve found it quite impressive. Unlike other platforms that require approval for their research methods, Grok-3 immediately begins the task upon question submission, and it does so with remarkable speed.

    For instance, when I queried the scientific research related to screen time’s impact on younger audiences, Grok-3 produced a report notably faster than Gemini. Additionally, it offered greater transparency by allowing me to observe its reasoning process while compiling answers.

    Seeking answers from xAI’s Grok-3 AI model.
    Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

    Moreover, it provides a detailed breakdown of the entire process, which is saved as its dataset, displayed above the final answer. However, one limitation is that users cannot modify the research plan prior to initiating the search.

    In contrast, Gemini allows for research plan adjustments but lacks the transparency of a breakdown or clear reasoning process. Gemini’s results referenced material from 37 different sources, providing extensive citations, while Grok-3’s DeepSearch succinctly summarized its conclusions with only six key references, yet the information was equally valuable.

    When exploring the less complex Think feature, Grok-3 again outperformed Gemini in terms of speed. Upon inquiring about the implications of Microsoft’s new quantum computing chip, I noted significant differences in approach.

    Comparing responses generated by Gemini and Grok-3
    Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

    Grok-3 approached the question holistically, addressing both the scientific applications and benefits, along with the associated risks, dedicating a section solely to this. Furthermore, it displayed its reasoning at all times throughout the interaction.

    Conversely, Gemini appeared more reserved and academically focused, whereas Grok-3 articulated complex ideas in a more accessible manner. While it’s difficult to determine a definitive leader among these AI models, benchmarks provided by xAI suggest that Grok-3 has outperformed models from Google, OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Anthropic across various evaluations.