X Opens Up Grok, its AI Chatbot, to Free Users with Daily Limits
Limited Access for All, Premium Subscription Users Get Expanded Access
X, formerly known as Twitter, has launched a free, limited version of its Grok chatbot, making its powerful AI tool available to a wider audience. While previously restricted to premium subscribers, Grok is now accessible to all users, although with certain limitations. Non-paying users can submit up to 10 questions to Grok every two hours, and can analyze three images and generate four new images per day.
Users who subscribe to X’s Premium ($7 per month) or Premium+ ($14 per month) plans will enjoy expanded access, allowing them to ask up to 50 questions per day. Those wishing to try Grok without an existing X account must first create one that is at least seven days old and linked to a phone number.
Beyond Conversations: Grok’s Capabilities
While primarily known as a conversational chatbot, Grok offers a range of functionalities beyond casual chit-chat. The AI assistant can assist users with research, breaking down complex topics, providing coding support, and even automating customer inquiries for businesses.
Competitive Landscape: Grok Enters the Fray
Grok’s arrival in the free market presents a challenge to established AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which boasts over 300 million weekly active users. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently revealed that his company’s chatbot has amassed nearly 600 million monthly active users since its launch just over a year ago.
Grok is the flagship product of xAI, Elon Musk’s AI firm founded in 2023. Valued at $50 billion, xAI is rapidly emerging as a major player in the competitive field. In addition to being led by Musk, the world’s richest person, xAI has a distinct advantage: access to vast troves of data from X and Tesla, the latter providing a rich source of visual data collected through its car cameras.
Supercomputing Power: Fueling xAI’s Growth
xAI also possesses formidable computing capabilities through its newly built supercomputer site in Memphis, Tennessee. This site, which is undergoing continuous expansion with at least 1 million graphics processing units, is designed to boost computational workloads and train advanced AI models. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who recently praised the site’s rapid construction (completed in just 122 days), expects xAI to become “a really serious competitor.”
What are the limitations for free users of X’s AI chatbot Grok?
## X Opens Up Grok to Everyone: An Interview with Tech Analyst Sarah Jones
**Interviewer:** Welcome to the show, Sarah. Today, we’re talking about X, formerly Twitter, opening up its AI chatbot Grok to free users. Can you tell us what’s changed and what this means for the average user?
**Sarah Jones:** Absolutely! This is a pretty significant move by X. Previously, Grok was only available to users subscribed to their paid tiers, but now anyone can access its impressive AI capabilities.
**Interviewer:** So, what can people actually *do* with Grok?
**Sarah Jones:** Grok is a really versatile tool. You can ask it questions, get creative text formats like poems or code, analyze images, and even generate new ones. Think of it like having a super smart AI assistant right at your fingertips.
**Interviewer:** That sounds amazing! But you mentioned limitations for free users. What are those?
**Sarah Jones:** Right. There are some restrictions in place. Free users can only ask Grok up to 10 questions every two hours, and they are limited to analyzing three images and generating four new images per day. [[1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2024/12/06/x-introduces-free-version-of-grok-with-these-limits/)]
**Interviewer:** I see. So, what are the benefits for users who choose to subscribe to X Premium?
**Sarah Jones:** Subscribing gives you much greater access to Grok’s capabilities. Premium users can ask up to 50 questions every two hours and have significantly higher limits for image analysis and generation. [[1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2024/12/06/x-introduces-free-version-of-grok-with-these-limits/)]
**Interviewer:** That’s interesting. It seems like X is trying to balance accessibility with encouraging paid subscriptions.
**Sarah Jones:** Exactly. By offering a taste of Grok for free, they’re hoping to attract users and showcase its potential. Meanwhile, the expanded features for paid users provide an incentive for those who need more powerful AI tools in their daily lives.
**Interviewer:**
Thank you for shedding some light on this, Sarah. This could be a really exciting development in the world of accessible AI.
