Social platform X is making major adjustments to its AI chat assistant Grok, opening free testing to all users, which was previously only available to paid members. This move marks a change in X's competitive strategy in the AI field, aiming to expand the user base, enhance product competitiveness, and accelerate product iteration.
Social platform X (formerly Twitter) is enabling free user testing for its AI chat assistant Grok. This AI tool developed by Musk's xAI company was previously only open to paid members and is now expected to usher in major changes. According to feedback from many application researchers and users, the X platform has launched a free version of Grok in specific regions. TechCrunch confirmed that free users in New Zealand can already participate in Grok's testing program.
According to X platform researcher Swak, the free version of Grok currently has restrictions on usage: users can have 10 conversations every 2 hours using the Grok-2 model, 20 conversations every 2 hours using the Grok-2mini model, and the image analysis function Limit to 3 times a day. To use the free version of Grok, the user's account needs to meet two conditions: the registration time is more than 7 days and the mobile phone number is bound.
In August this year, xAI launched the Grok-2 version with image generation capabilities, which uses the FLUX.1 model from Black Forest Labs. At the end of last month, the company added image understanding to Grok. These features were previously only available for Premium and Premium+ members.
Analysts believe that opening Grok services to free users indicates that xAI is seeking to expand its user base and accelerate its product feedback cycle. This strategic move is intended to enhance its competitiveness with competitors such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. The expansion of the service scope may bring a new competitive trend to the AI chat assistant market.
The launch of Grok free test indicates that the competition in the AI chat assistant market will be more intense. Whether xAI's move can successfully challenge market leaders remains to be seen. The user feedback collected in the free testing phase will become a key factor in the future improvement of xAI for Grok, ultimately determining its positioning and influence in the market.