Elon Musk Unveils Grok 3 AI: 10x Smarter, Rolling Out to X Premium+ Users

Elon Musk and his artificial intelligence startup xAI have officially launched their next-generation AI model, Grok 3. This advanced AI model is claimed to be 10 times more capable than its predecessor, offering improved reasoning, research abilities, and enhanced creative capabilities.

During the launch event, Musk outlined the broader mission of xAI and Grok, stating, "The mission of xAI and Grok is to understand the universe, the nature of the universe so we can figure out what is going on, where the aliens are." He emphasized that the team is driven by curiosity and a desire to deeply understand how nature works.

Grok 3: A Leap Forward in AI Technology

Musk expressed his enthusiasm about the latest AI model, stating, "We’re very excited to present Grok 3, which is, we think, an order of magnitude more capable than Grok 2 in a very short period of time. And that’s thanks to the hard work of an incredible team, and I’m honoured to work with such a great team." He further assured that he is "1000 per cent sure that users will fall in love with Grok 3".

Exclusive Access for X Premium+ Subscribers

Starting today, Grok 3 is rolling out to X Premium+ users, making them the first to experience the upgraded AI model. Users should update their X app to experience the newest AI-powered features. For early access to Grok 3, they can subscribe to X Premium+.

Introduction of the Super Grok Subscription

Additionally, xAI has introduced a new subscription tier called 'Super Grok', designed for AI enthusiasts seeking the most advanced features and early access to upcoming updates.This premium subscription will be accessible through both the Grok app and the newly launched website, grok.com.

The Origin of 'Grok': A Word with Deep Meaning

At the event, Elon Musk explained the origin of the term 'Grok', revealing that it comes from Robert Heinlein’s novel Stranger in a Strange Land. Musk stated, "It’s used by a character raised on Mars and means to fully and profoundly understand something. The word ‘Grok’ conveys deep understanding, and empathy is an important part of that."

Grok 3: Built for the Future with a Massive AI Infrastructure

In April 2024, Musk realized that for xAI to develop the most advanced AI models, the company needed to build its own data center. According to the team, the project was completed within an incredibly tight timeline of just four months, enabling them to launch Grok 3 swiftly.

A Record-Breaking Computing Cluster

The xAI team explained the scale of their computing efforts:

• In just 122 days, they deployed the first 100,000 GPUs, creating one of the largest H100 clusters in the world.

• Recognizing the need for even more power, they doubled the size of the cluster in just 92 days.

• This unprecedented computing infrastructure has allowed xAI to continuously enhance Grok 3’s capabilities.

Grok 3: Three Key Functionalities Explained

Grok 3 has been designed to function in three major ways: Think, Big Brain, and DeepSearch.

1. Grok 3: Think

During the demo, the team tested Grok 3’s problem-solving capabilities by asking it to solve a physics problem related to space travel. The AI was tasked with:

• Plotting a trajectory from Earth to Mars and back

• Understanding complex physics principles

• Calculating a viable path for the journey

The AI model took 114 seconds to think before arriving at the final answer. The team emphasized that the demo was unscripted, allowing Grok 3 to work independently. Despite the possibility of errors, the AI model delivered accurate results during the demo.

2. Grok 3: Big Brain - A New Frontier in AI Creativity

Grok 3 is not just about logic and reasoning; it also excels in creativity. During the demo, the team challenged Grok 3 to design a new game by merging two well-known games: Tetris and Bejeweled.

As Grok 3 processed the request, Musk commented, "Grok is a beginning of creativity." Once the AI successfully created the game concept, Musk made a major announcement: "We’re launching an AI gaming studio at xAI. If you’re interested in joining us and developing AI-driven games, please come aboard. We’re announcing the launch tonight."

3. Grok 3: DeepSearch – Advanced Research Capabilities

One of the standout features of Grok 3 is its ability to conduct in-depth research. Unlike standard AI models, Grok 3 has been optimized to handle complex subjects like math, science, and coding.

With the new DeepSearch feature, users can now instruct Grok 3 to think longer and conduct deeper research before providing answers. The xAI team claims that this feature will allow Grok 3 to deliver even more precise and insightful responses, setting it apart from competitors like DeepSeek R1 and Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking.

Competition in the AI Race Intensifies

The launch of Grok 3 marks a significant milestone for xAI, as the AI industry becomes increasingly competitive. The company is competing not only with major Western tech giants such as OpenAI and Google but also with fast-growing Chinese firms like DeepSeek.

For instance, DeepSeek’s innovations have pressured OpenAI to respond with new AI features. OpenAI recently:

• Made its first reasoning model free for public use

• Introduced its own Deep Research AI capabilities

With the AI arms race heating up, xAI’s launch of Grok 3 positions the company as a strong contender in the global AI market.

Conclusion

The unveiling of Grok 3 represents a bold step forward for xAI and Elon Musk’s vision for artificial intelligence. With its enhanced capabilities in reasoning, creativity, and deep research, Grok 3 is set to revolutionize the way AI interacts with users. As competition intensifies in the AI landscape, xAI’s massive computing power and innovative functionalities give it a competitive edge.

With early access rolling out to X Premium+ users and the introduction of the Super Grok subscription, Musk is making it clear that xAI is determined to push AI innovation to new heights. Whether Grok 3 will live up to Musk’s claim of being "1000 per cent better" remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the AI revolution is only just beginning.