X users gain access to Grok AI chatbot with new image tool

X’s AI platform has significantly expanded its capabilities through broader access to the Grok chatbot and the introduction of a new image generation model, marking a notable advancement in the platform’s AI offerings.

Latest developments: X has made two major changes to its AI features, expanding access to the Grok chatbot while also introducing a new image generation system.

• Free X users can now access the Grok 2 chatbot with a limit of 10 messages every two hours
• The chatbot interface resembles ChatGPT and provides answers with source links to posts and web pages
• A new image generator called Aurora was briefly released and then pulled back for refinement

Technical capabilities: The new Aurora model represents a significant advancement in X’s AI image generation capabilities.

• Aurora is built as an autoregressive mixture-of-experts network that processes both text and image data
• The model was trained on billions of internet examples to create photorealistic images
• Future updates will include the ability to accept images as inputs

Safety and content moderation: The initial release of Aurora revealed some content moderation challenges that X is now addressing.

• While the system blocked nude content, it initially allowed the generation of potentially controversial political images
• The first version was temporarily removed after concerns about insufficient safeguards
• The updated version appears to maintain relatively loose restrictions, as evidenced by sample generations including creative celebrity mashups

Implementation timeline: X is rolling out these features in phases, with some uncertainty around exact dates.

• The broader Grok chatbot access is already available to free users
• Complete rollout of new capabilities is expected within a week
• Image input functionality is planned for future release, though no specific date has been announced

Looking ahead: While X’s AI capabilities show promise, the platform’s approach to content moderation and feature deployment suggests a pattern of rapid releases followed by necessary adjustments, indicating potential growing pains as it establishes itself in the competitive AI landscape.