It’s 2024. Every company has it’s own chatbot.
One chatbot is X’s Grok, which is supposed to be a ‘funny’, Twitter-exposed version of ChatGPT or Google’s Bard.
Key Takeaways
- To use Grok, you need to have X Premium+ for $16 per month
- Grok is trained on user posts on X
- For an AI that is designed to be funny and edgy, it is definitely not… that.
- ChatGPT has a free version that is comparable with Grok
- ChatGPT Premium costs $20 per month and reads files, can create images, use plugins, etc.
- Bard is free and integrates with your Google Docs, Emails, and more
- Elon Musk has turned Twitter into a right-wing conspiracy haven which will turn off many users
- ChatGPT and Bard keep their political preferences and conspiracy theories out of their platform
Grok and X: More Bane than Boon
I gave Grok a try, and here’s what I found: Logging into X and starting a chat with Grok felt like stepping into a digital carnival.
On one side, there’s a trending bar flashing the latest ‘hot’ topics – from underwhelming celebrity gossip to sports teams playing to breaking news.
Below that, a sidebar is buzzing with notifications and suggestions, constantly updating.
As I’m trying to ask Grok questions about Taylor Swift, I’m constantly bombarded by conspiracy theories and political crap.
It’s like trying to have a conversation with your 2 year old child while a TV blares FOX News in the background and Alex Jones is at your dinner table ranting about the frogs’ water quality.
You’re there for the chat, but all the extra noise is just too much.
Where Grok Falls Short
I’m going to hound on Grok’s shortcomings for a minute here, so bear with me.
Cringe-worthy Humor
Let’s be real. AI is just not funny. And Grok is not an exception to that, no matter how bad Elon Musk wants it to be.
There is not a single funny bone in it’s code, and it shows.
When I tried Grok, it was clear it wanted to be the cool, funny chatbot on the block. It tried hard to be ‘rebellious’ with its humor, but honestly, it felt like listening to a joke that doesn’t quite land. You know, the kind where you smile but don’t really laugh?
On the other hand, Bard and ChatGPT, while not stand-up comedians, at least feel slightly more natural. Their humor flows better in conversation, like a friend cracking a dumb joke, while Grok’s attempts feel more like a comedian who’s trying too hard to get a laugh.
Lack of Features
I quickly noticed Grok’s feature set doesn’t quite match up to what ChatGPT and Bard offer.
For example, ChatGPT’s cool text-to-image prompts are missing in Grok. These prompts let you create images from text descriptions – a creative feature that’s both fun and useful. Bard, with its well-rounded capabilities, also outshines Grok.
Plus, Grok’s biggest drawback? It’s not free.
While ChatGPT and Bard offer free versions, Grok only comes with a price tag. This limits who can use it, making it less accessible for everyone to try out and enjoy.
Trained on Tweets (Xeets?)
Grok’s only real feature is its ability to conduct up-to-the-minute searches, pulling from the latest tweets (xeets, x’s, posts) on the X platform.
This sounds great in theory, as it promises to offer the freshest info on trending topics. However, this feature’s effectiveness is heavily tied to the X ecosystem.
Since Grok relies on what’s happening within X, its scope is somewhat narrow. It can’t tap into the wider internet like ChatGPT or Bard, which limits its reach and usefulness, especially if you’re looking for a broad spectrum of information.
And if you’ve spent any time on X at all in the last year, I think you know what kind of information and bias you’re going to get there.
But hey, it can roast you based on your post history. That’s… cool, I guess?
How X Users Feel About Grok
Many are skeptical about its cost, questioning whether it’s worth paying for, especially since there are free alternatives like ChatGPT and Bard.
Others point out that for a paid service, Grok doesn’t seem to offer anything extra special to justify its price.
There are a lot of Elon fans who think Grok is God’s gift to man, but right now, any normal humans are wondering what unique value Grok actually brings to the table.
I’m sure you could use it to learn more about Hunter Biden’s laptop or Jewish space lasers or something.
Can Grok Improve?
Personally, I do believe Grok can become a great AI for X.
There is a clear value in being able to have all the up to date information based on journalists tweets, events happening in the world, etc.
However, with the type of climate that Elon encourages on X anymore, the biases and usefulness of Grok could really be in danger.
The AI boom is just getting started, so I’m sure that Grok will get more functionality in the future if Elon wants X to truly become the ‘everything app’.
Conclusion
Grok, as it stands, doesn’t quite measure up to ChatGPT or Bard. Its integration with X feels cluttered, its humor misses the mark, and it lacks the unique features that its rivals offer.
The cost factor and limited accessibility compared to free alternatives put it at a disadvantage. While there’s a chance for Grok to evolve and improve, it has some catching up to do.
For now, ChatGPT and Bard remain the stronger choices for standalone chatbots.
