Grok, the AI that doesn’t mind a bit of cheek.
Elon Musk’s AI, built into X (formerly Twitter) — less filtered, more opinionated, and rather pleased with itself. The misfit cousin of the AI family.
- Made by xAI (Elon Musk)
- Free with X account
- Best for: live X feed, unfiltered answers
- Reading time · 8 min
At a glance
- What it is
- An AI chatbot from xAI, baked into the X (Twitter) app and website. Designed to be less filtered than ChatGPT or Claude — it’ll answer questions the others politely decline.
- Cost
- Free with any X account. SuperGrok is $30/month (≈£24) for the smartest model, image generation and higher limits.
- Where to find it
- grok.com on any browser, the Grok app on iPhone / Android, or directly inside the X app.
- Privacy
- By default, your conversations and your public X posts are used to train future models. You can switch this off in X settings.
- Walter’s take
- The “1990s Land Rover” of AI — rough around the edges, occasionally rude, surprisingly capable when you actually need it.
Section 01What is it, really?
Grok is the AI assistant from xAI, the company Elon Musk founded after a public falling-out with OpenAI. The interface is the familiar chat box, but the personality is the deliberate opposite of Claude’s careful one. Grok was built to be cheeky, irreverent, and to refuse fewer questions on principle.
Its genuine technical advantage is being plumbed into the live X feed. Ask Grok “what are people saying about [topic] right now?” and it can actually look at real-time posts. ChatGPT and Claude can’t do that. Whether that’s useful or just a faster way to read the internet at its angriest depends entirely on what you’re using it for.
Section 02What it’s genuinely good at — and not
Genuinely useful for
- Real-time questions about what’s trending on X
- Following breaking news as it unfolds
- Researching public figures’ recent statements
- Answering questions other AIs decline as “controversial”
- Image generation with fewer guardrails than ChatGPT
- A second opinion when other AIs feel evasive
Don’t trust it with
- Anything where polite, careful tone matters
- Long-form writing — Claude and ChatGPT do this better
- Children using it — the unfiltered tone isn’t suitable
- Information from X posts — treat as gossip, not fact
- Medical, legal or financial decisions you’ll act on
- Anyone uncomfortable with Elon Musk-adjacent products
Section 03How to get started in five minutes
- Go to grok.comYou can use it without an X account, but features are richer if you sign in. The web version is the cleanest interface.
- Or open it inside the X appIf you already use X, look for the Grok icon in the side menu. Same chatbot, accessible without leaving the feed.
- Try a “what’s happening right now” questionAsk “what are people on X saying about [a current event] today?” — this is Grok’s genuine differentiator.
- Pick a “mode” if you want a different toneGrok has Regular, Fun and Genius modes. Fun is more sarcastic, Genius takes longer and tries harder. Regular is fine for most things.
- Switch off training-data sharing if it bothers youIn X → Settings → Privacy and Safety → Grok, you can stop xAI training on your posts and conversations.
Section 04A prompt to try right now
Grok’s superpower is reading X in real time. Try this — it’s the kind of thing only Grok can do well:
Always ask Grok for a balanced summary. Without that word, it tends to over-index on the loudest voices — which on X is rarely the most representative ones. The “balanced” framing forces it to look harder.
Section 05Things to watch out for
That’s the whole pitch — but it cuts both ways. Grok will sometimes produce edgy, blunt or uncharitable answers that ChatGPT would soften. Useful when you want a straight answer; uncomfortable when you didn’t.
Grok’s live X feed includes everything from breaking news to deliberate misinformation. Treat anything sourced from X posts as “what people are saying,” not “what’s true.” Always verify with a real source.
Grok has a tone — and that tone leans in particular directions on contested topics. Worth knowing, especially when asking about news, politics, or public figures. Cross-check with Claude or ChatGPT if neutrality matters.
Section 06The honest cost breakdown
Free tier: Standard model, image generation, real-time X access. Plenty for trying it out.
SuperGrok ($30/month, ≈£24): The smartest model (Grok 4), higher daily limits, faster responses, voice mode and earlier access to new features.
SuperGrok Heavy ($300/month, ≈£240): Highest tier — multiple agents, unlimited usage. Designed for heavy professional users. Almost certainly overkill.
The AI for the X-curious. A useful second opinion, not a daily driver.
Grok is worth knowing about, mainly for the live-X feature — nothing else does that. But for everyday writing, research and life admin, ChatGPT or Claude will serve you better. Use it as a specialist tool when you need to know what the internet is shouting about right now, and keep the others for when you need a calm, careful answer.
Back to The Robot Won’t Bite
Over50TechTips
by Walter Ledger
Technology explained by someone who remembers when ‘wireless’ meant a really long cord.