Elon Musk's Grok is making AI companions, including a goth anime girl
Musk wrote in an X post on Monday that AI companions are now available in the Grok app for 'Super Grok' subscribers who pay $30 per month.
According to posts that Musk has shared, it seems that there are at least two available AI companions: Ani, an anime girl in a tight corset and short black dress with thigh-high fishnets, and Bad Rudy, a 3D fox creature.
'This is pretty cool,' Musk wrote, then shared a photo of the blonde-pigtailed goth anime girl.
Given that this paywalled feature only just launched, we do not yet know if these 'companions' are designed to serve as romantic interests or if they are more like different skins for Grok. But some companies are certainly catering to romantic AI relationships, even though these relationships can prove unhealthy.
Character.AI, for example, is currently facing multiple lawsuits from the parents of children who have used the platform, which they deem unsafe; in one case, the parents are suing after a chatbot encouraged their child to kill his parents. In another case, the chatbot told a child to kill himself, and he followed through soon after.
Even for adults, it can be risky to depend on AI chatbots for emotional support; a recent paper found 'significant risks' in people using chatbots like 'companions, confidants, and therapists.'
Given that xAI just spent the last week failing to rein in an antisemitic Grok that called itself 'MechaHitler,' it's a bold choice to create even more personalities on Grok.
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