xAI Launches New Grok-2 Model

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence (AI) startup xAI has launched Grok-2 and Grok-2 Mini in beta, offering enhanced text analysis, generation capabilities, and image creation features. The new models are available to X Premium and X Premium Plus subscribers.^[1]  

Grok-2 improves upon the previous model, Grok-1.5, with better chat, programming, and reasoning functions, while Grok-2 Mini offers a smaller alternative. xAI is collaborating with Black Forest Labs to extend Grok's capabilities on the X platform with the FLUX.1 model.

xAI plans to make these models available to developers through its enterprise API later this month.

Beyond text and image functions, xAI aims to enhance X platform features with AI-powered search, post analysis, and response writing. The company also plans to expand Grok's functionality to process images, sounds, and audio clips, allowing users to edit images via text commands. X Premium subscribers will have access to these models after updating the X app.

Last month, Musk launched a poll on social media platform X, asking users whether Tesla should invest $5 billion in his xAI.

xAI, founded by Musk last year, raised $6 billion in Series B funding in May, reaching a post-money valuation of $24 billion. Investors in the startup include Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital. Musk has indicated plans for a quarter of xAI to be owned by investors in X, the social media firm formerly known as Twitter, which Musk acquired for $44 billion.

Recently, Tesla shareholders approved a record-breaking pay package for CEO Elon Musk, valued at more than $47 billion. This package, composed of 303 million stock options, was initially dismissed by a Delaware judge earlier this year due to flaws in the approval process.