Elon Musk's xAI unveils Grok 3, Its most powerful AI model yet

To experience Grok 3, an X Premium subscription is required.

Image: Tech Bird

The AI arena is buzzing, and Elon Musk's xAI has just dropped a bombshell – Grok 3.  This isn't just another incremental update; xAI claims Grok 3 is their most powerful model yet, a significant leap beyond its predecessor.  Coming on the heels of DeepSeek's entry into the competitive landscape, this move signals xAI's intent to not only play but to dominate.   

Just weeks after Musk hinted on X (formerly Twitter) about Grok 3's tenfold power increase over Grok 2, xAI officially unveiled the new model. The announcement, also made on X, reinforces the magnitude of the upgrade.  This kind of bold claim naturally raises expectations, and the AI world is watching closely to see if Grok 3 lives up to the hype.   

One of the most exciting developments is the introduction of advanced reasoning capabilities.  Like OpenAI's o1, DeepSeek's R1, and Google's Gemini Flash Thinking, Grok 3 is designed to tackle complex questions by breaking them down into smaller, more manageable tasks.  It even attempts to fact-check itself before providing an answer, aiming for higher accuracy and more robust results.   

xAI is offering two distinct reasoning modes for Grok 3: "Think" and "Big Brain."  "Think" allows users to observe Grok's reasoning process as it works through a request, offering a fascinating glimpse into the AI's thought patterns. "Big Brain" is designed for the most demanding tasks, leveraging increased computational power to handle complex problem-solving.  This granular control over reasoning modes is a powerful feature, catering to different user needs and complexities of tasks.   

Beyond just the model itself, xAI is also launching "Deep Search," a Grok AI agent described as a "next-generation search engine."  This suggests a move beyond simple chatbot interactions and into a more integrated search experience, potentially revolutionizing how we find information online.   

Musk has emphasized that Grok 3 is "maximally truth-seeking," even if that truth clashes with political correctness. This raises interesting questions about the model's guardrails.  Previous versions of Grok have faced criticism for spreading election misinformation and having fewer restrictions on text-to-image generation, leading to potentially offensive outputs.  While OpenAI is also exploring "truth-seeking" AI, they are doing so with a focus on safety.  It remains to be seen how xAI will balance truth-seeking with responsible AI development.   

Access to Grok 3's advanced reasoning capabilities is tied to X Premium Plus subscriptions, which have recently seen price increases, now starting at $40 per month.  xAI has also announced a new "SuperGrok" subscription plan, promising "the most advanced capabilities and earliest access to new features" for $30 per month.  It's unclear whether SuperGrok is an add-on to X Premium or a separate offering.  These pricing strategies will likely be a point of discussion among users.   

In other news, Musk has revealed that Grok will soon feature a synthesized voice, similar to OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT.  Furthermore, xAI plans to open-source Grok 2 in the coming months, a move that could significantly impact the AI community and accelerate development.   

Stay tuned for further updates as xAI continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in artificial intelligence.