On Monday, xAI, the Elon Musk-led startup, introduced its updated Grok 3 artificial intelligence model. This move aims to help the company keep up with the advanced reasoning and search features seen in its competitors’ AI models. During a livestream event on Musk’s X platform, xAI leaders claimed that Grok 3 outperforms other AI models, including Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s GPT-4, Anthropic’s Claude 3.5, and DeepSeek’s V3, across various math, science, and coding benchmarks. However, comparisons to other leading reasoning models like OpenAI’s o3-mini and DeepSeek’s R1 were not provided.
The company also highlighted several new features in Grok 3, such as advanced web search capabilities known as “deep search,” the ability to create online games, and a “big brain” mode for solving more complex problems. Grok 3 is now available to users who subscribe to X’s $40/month “Premium+” plan or through its standalone app or website.
This announcement comes amid fierce competition in the AI space, as major tech companies continue to invest heavily in larger, more powerful data centers to support the development of increasingly sophisticated AI models. The tech industry views AI as a transformative technology that could reshape how people work, communicate, and interact with the internet, potentially replacing traditional search engines and coding methods.
American tech companies are now facing new competition from DeepSeek, a Chinese startup, which recently launched its R1 AI model. The R1 has raised concerns about Silicon Valley’s AI infrastructure investments, suggesting that advanced AI models could be trained more efficiently than previously thought. In response, Musk revealed that Grok 3 was built using 10 times the computing power of xAI’s previous model, Grok 2, following the opening of a new data center in Tennessee last year.
Musk referred to Grok 3 as being in a “beta” phase, acknowledging that it may have some flaws initially but assuring rapid improvements. He also teased the upcoming release of a “voice mode” for Grok 3, similar to the natural conversation features found in apps like ChatGPT, which he said would be available soon.
In parallel, Musk, who has been involved in reshaping the federal government as a “special government employee” under President Trump, is also looking to expand his influence in the AI field. Recently, Musk led a group of investors attempting to purchase OpenAI for $97 billion, though the deal was rejected by OpenAI’s board. Musk has criticized OpenAI for straying from its original mission to benefit humanity, particularly with its plans to transition away from a non-profit structure. He has also called for more of OpenAI’s technology to be open-sourced.
When asked about open-sourcing xAI’s models, Musk stated that the code for Grok 2 would be made publicly available once Grok 3 becomes “mature and stable” in the coming months.