Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, Grok 3, introduced the latest version of its chatbot on Monday.
The Grok3 release positions the billionaire to compete in the burgeoning AI sector, which is dominated by established entities like ChatGPT and emerging players such as China’s DeepSeek.
The launch coincides with Musk leveraging expansive powers granted by US President Donald Trump to overhaul federal agencies. Given Musk’s vast business dealings, including sectors regulated by these agencies, this move has sparked concerns over potential conflicts of interest.
Grok 3: A Leap in AI Technology
During the Grok 3 launch event, Musk explained, “Grok is to understand the universe. We’re driven by curiosity about the nature of the universe — that’s also what causes us to be a maximally truth-seeking AI, even if that truth is sometimes at odds with what is politically correct.” Musk touts Grok 3 as “scary smart,” featuring ten times the computational power of its predecessor, enhancing its ability to avoid common AI errors known as “hallucinations.”
🔥 NOW: Elon Musk announced that Grok 3 will launch tomorrow, offering full access for free with no subscriptions or restrictions.
He claims the AI will be uncensored and the smartest intelligence on Earth. pic.twitter.com/NGwCFTiPWx
— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) February 17, 2025
“Grok 3 has very powerful reasoning capabilities. In tests so far, Grok 3 is outperforming anything that’s been released that we’re aware of, so that’s a good sign,” Musk commented during a video call with the World Governments Summit in Dubai. Initially, Grok 3 will be available exclusively to Premium+ subscribers of X before a broader rollout.
Grok 3 enters an intensely competitive market where countries and companies are racing to develop more sophisticated and cost-effective AI technologies. This includes China’s DeepSeek, which recently launched its R1 chatbot, posing a direct challenge to U.S. leadership in AI. Additionally, Grok 3 competes directly with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, marking a significant rivalry between Musk and OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman.
Musk’s Broader Influence on Technology and Governance
Further complicating the landscape is Musk’s involvement in Trump’s administration as a close advisor and head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency. This role involves Musk in significant government restructurings, raising additional conflict-of-interest concerns about his influence over AI regulations.
Amid these developments, Musk’s xAI company is reportedly seeking investors for a funding round to raise about $10 billion, potentially valuing the company at around $75 billion.