Elon Musk’s xAI startup has successfully rolled out the Grok AI chatbot to Premium+ subscribers on X’s platform in the United States, following a previous announcement. The “rebellious” AI chatbot is now available to English language users who subscribe to Premium+, with Japanese users expected to have access in the near future. Musk has also indicated that users of all languages will gain access to Grok by early 2024.
Musk has provided a timeline for the expansion of Grok and assured subscribers that it will be continuously improved. He also noted that there will be issues at first, but rapid improvements will follow. The availability of Grok is part of X’s Premium+ offering, a top-tier subscription priced at $16 per month, that aims to enhance user experience through various features.
The launch of Grok marks a shift in X’s revenue model, as the company faces challenges related to its advertising business. Efforts to attract more subscribers to Premium+ may be critical in offsetting the loss of ad revenue, as brands have left the platform over concerns regarding antisemitic content. X had its largest-ever month for subscription revenue in November, but it remains a smaller portion of its overall revenue compared to advertising.
The expansion of Grok to Premium+ subscribers represents an opportunity for X to drive further subscription revenue. Despite reporting more than 500 million monthly active users, the company has room to grow its subscriber base and increase its subscription revenue. However, whether X can leverage its user base to achieve sustained growth remains to be seen.
