Elon Musk’s xAI makes Grok 4 free for all users globally following GPT-5 launch

New Delhi: Elon Musk-owned xAI has made the latest version of its Grok series of Artificial Intelligence (AI) models, Grok 4, freely available to all users globally.The move comes roughly a month after the model’s initial release, when access had been limited to members of xAI’s SuperGrok and X Premium subscription plans.

“For a limited time, we are rolling out generous usage limits so you can explore Grok 4’s full potential,” xAI said in a post on the social media platform X on August 10. Access to Grok 4 Heavy, described as the company’s most capable variant, remains restricted to SuperGrok Heavy subscribers.

The report notes that the decision to expand access appears intended to reach a broader user base while retaining premium features behind a subscription wall. It follows closely on the heels of OpenAI’s release of GPT-5, which is also freely accessible worldwide.

Grok 4 operates in two modes: Auto and Expert. In Auto mode, the AI determines whether a user prompt requires more detailed or complex reasoning, reportedly increasing speed while conserving computing power and other resources. Expert mode allows users to manually switch the model to reasoning mode if the initial AI-generated response is unsatisfactory.

According to the report, xAI last week also made its AI video generation tool, Grok Imagine, available at no cost to users in the United States. Paid subscribers outside the US are eligible for higher request limits. The Grok Imagine feature has drawn attention for its potential misuse, with reports highlighting that it can generate explicit videos of celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Sydney Sweeney.

The report adds that Elon Musk has revealed plans to introduce advertisements directly within the Grok chatbot interface. Speaking in an X Spaces discussion, Musk said additional revenue streams were necessary to offset the high costs of the Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) that power the AI models. He added that the ads would appear between answers and suggestions on both the Grok AI website and mobile app.