Musk Launches Grok 4 AI Chatbot After Antisemitism Row
Musk Unveils Grok 4 AI Chatbot After Antisemitism Controversy
Just days after facing widespread backlash over his comments on antisemitism, Elon Musk has shifted focus back to tech by officially launching Grok 4, the latest version of his AI chatbot built by his company xAI.
The timing of the launch is no coincidence. With critics calling out Musk’s stance on hate speech and misinformation, releasing Grok 4 feels like an effort to draw attention back to innovation—and perhaps even reshape the public narrative.
But PR motives aside, Grok 4 is a serious entry in the AI space. It promises powerful upgrades and brings a unique flavor to the ongoing AI wars between OpenAI, Google, and now xAI.
What Is Grok 4 and Why Are People Talking About It
Grok 4 is the newest version of Elon Musk’s AI chatbot built under his artificial intelligence startup xAI. While earlier Grok versions had limited reach, Grok 4 is designed to directly compete with ChatGPT-4o and Gemini 1.5 Pro.
What sets it apart? For one, Grok 4 is built to handle 256,000 tokens of context—which basically means it can hold much longer, more meaningful conversations. It’s also multi-modal, meaning it can understand and respond to both text and images.
It’s also deeply tied to Musk’s social platform X (formerly Twitter), allowing Grok to draw from real-time online content for its responses.
Why the Launch Timing Feels Strategic
This launch didn’t come out of nowhere. Just last week, Musk was under fire for engaging with posts considered antisemitic. As backlash mounted, many believed Musk’s public image was taking a hit—especially in the eyes of advertisers and regulators.
By unveiling Grok 4 now, Musk seems to be saying, “Let’s get back to the future.” He’s re-centering attention on his AI ambitions, showing the world that xAI is not just another side project—it’s here to disrupt.
At the same time, critics argue this could be a distraction tactic. Either way, the timing has stirred conversation—and that may be exactly what Musk wanted.
Grok 4 vs ChatGPT and Gemini: How Does It Compare
Now to the real question: How does Grok 4 stack up against big names like ChatGPT and Google Gemini?
- Token Limit: Grok 4 supports 256K tokens, which matches OpenAI’s most powerful tools. It can remember and reference large amounts of conversation.
- Multi-modal Abilities: Like ChatGPT-4o and Gemini 1.5, Grok 4 understands both text and images—giving it a broader skill set than older models.
- Platform Integration: While ChatGPT is a standalone tool, Grok 4 is tightly integrated with X, enabling more current and conversational responses.
While Grok doesn’t yet match the polish or reach of ChatGPT, it’s catching up—fast. And with Musk’s branding and massive platform, it has a real shot at scaling quickly.
Features That Make Grok 4 Unique
While technical documents on Grok 4 haven’t been fully released, early users and insiders have shared several standout features:
- Extended context window for deep reasoning
- Support for both English and other major languages
- Live integration with X for real-time information
- More opinionated and human-like personality
Some users say Grok’s responses feel less filtered than ChatGPT or Gemini, which may attract those who want “raw, honest” answers over carefully moderated ones.
This might be a double-edged sword though—openness could also lead to controversial or misleading content, especially without clear safeguards.
How to Try Grok 4 Yourself
Right now, Grok 4 is only available to Premium+ subscribers on X. This subscription-only approach keeps the audience limited but may also help Musk monetize early demand.
To access Grok 4:
- Open the X app or website
- Upgrade to the Premium+ plan
- Start chatting directly within the platform
An independent Grok website is also in the works, but for now, most activity is happening on X itself.
The Bigger Picture: AI Wars Are Heating Up
With this move, Musk is officially throwing his name into the hat alongside Sam Altman’s OpenAI and Sundar Pichai’s Google.
OpenAI is still leading in adoption, especially with GPT-4o’s widespread use in education, business, and productivity tools. Google’s Gemini, meanwhile, is quickly improving its capabilities, especially in logic and real-time search.
Musk’s edge is distribution. X gives Grok a ready-made audience. If he nails the product and keeps the momentum, Grok could eventually become the default AI companion for millions of X users.
What About the Antisemitism Controversy
Of course, the controversy isn’t going away that easily. Musk is still being watched closely by the public and media over how he handles hate speech and misinformation on X.
Launching Grok 4 might win back some fans in the tech community, but trust takes longer to rebuild. Whether users will embrace his AI tool without hesitation remains to be seen.
Many believe that Grok’s success will depend not just on its performance, but also on how xAI manages content moderation, ethics, and accountability going forward.
Final Thoughts
Grok 4 is more than just another chatbot release. It’s Elon Musk’s bold entry into the next big wave of AI innovation. With competitive features, X integration, and a distinctive voice, Grok is carving out a space of its own.
But the road ahead isn’t easy. It’ll need to match or beat the best models, earn user trust, and avoid political and ethical landmines that have plagued other platforms.
Still, one thing’s clear—Musk is all in on AI, and Grok 4 is just the beginning.
