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NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
"This Will Sell': Elon Musk's Grok Introduces AI Companions Featuring A Goth Anime Girl
Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Grok has introduced a new feature called AI companions, in which users have access to customisable 3D animated characters, including a goth anime girl. The other character is a furry red panda named Bad Rudy that has a mean, sarcastic personality and a vulgar streak. "This is pretty cool," Musk wrote in one of his recent posts on X, sharing an image of the anime companion Ani, who is a blonde, pigtailed character wearing a black corset, short dress, and thigh-high fishnets. Musk confirmed that the AI companion feature is currently in a soft launch and will be easier to activate for Super AI subscribers in a few days. The companions seem to be the latest in a series of features aimed at boosting user engagement and offering greater personalisation for paid users. See the post here: Update your app to try out @Grok companions! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 14, 2025 It remains unclear if these AI companions are meant to role-play as romantic interests or serve as different skins for users on the app. Some users have pointed out that the feature is similar to where users are able to talk to chatbots based on real-life and fictional characters. Social media reacts As the news of the new feature went viral, social media users joked that Mr Musk may have found a way to turn the AI business profitable. "I mean, that sh*t is probably going to sell, especially with more characters, with different personalities," said one user while another joked: " is shaking in their boots lol another wrapper gone." A third commented: "Can I customise it to look like Karl Marx and read the news with an anti-capitalist bias to propagandise my friends in the bar? That's all I want!" A fourth said: "There's a lot of data to indicate huge amounts of loneliness in the modern world and perhaps an AI 'companion' can help to off-set this. There isn't any real reason to prevent people from using AI in this way." What is Grok? Grok is Mr Musk's answer to his rivals, such as Google and Meta, who have come up with their respective chatbots to take a lead in the AI race. xAI launched Grok 4 last week, with the billionaire touting it one of the most advanced chatbots capable of solving almost any query. "With respect to academic questions, Grok 4 is better than PhD level in every subject, no exceptions," said Mr Musk during the launch. "At times, it may lack common sense, and it has not yet invented new technologies or discovered new physics, but that is just a matter of time." It was in April 2024 that Mr Musk and the xAI team decided that to develop the most advanced AI, they needed to build their own data centre. With a strict deadline, the team managed to get the first 100,000 GPUs operational in just 122 days, calling it a "monumental effort." This massive computing power has continuously improved Grok, allowing it to function in three modes: DeepSearch, Think, and Big Mind.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'See you at the charging station...': Anand Mahindra welcomes Elon Musk and Tesla to India
Tesla has officially entered the market with the opening of its first Experience Centre in Mumbai's upscale Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in a landmark move for India's electric vehicle (EV) landscape. This strategic location marks more than just a showroom; it represents Tesla's commitment to testing Indian waters and reshaping consumer expectations in a growing EV market. While production is yet to begin locally, the debut of the Tesla Model Y has created a ripple across the auto industry. Famous icons like Anand Mahindra have welcomed the competition, signalling the start of a new era in India's journey toward sustainable mobility. Tesla unveiled its first official showroom, named the Tesla Experience Centre, at Maker Maxity Mall, located in Mumbai's bustling BKC. The showroom offers a direct look at Tesla's futuristic technology, clean design, and innovation-driven ethos. Currently, the Tesla Model Y is the primary highlight: Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD): Rs 59.89 lakh (on-road) Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive: Rs 67.89 lakh (on-road) Anand Mahindra welcomes Tesla 's entry into Indian market with open arms Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra shared his enthusiastic support for Tesla's arrival. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he posted: 'Welcome to India, @elonmusk and @Tesla. One of the world's largest EV opportunities just got more exciting. Competition drives innovation.' He also revisited a humorous exchange with Elon Musk from 2016, where he had invited Tesla to join India's EV journey rather than leave the field to Mahindra Electric alone. His message: 'The more the merrier—and greener.' Maharashtra aims to become global EV hub with Tesla's arrival Maharashtra government threw its weight behind Tesla's entry. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, present at the Experience Centre launch, expressed confidence in the state's capacity to support Tesla's research, development, and manufacturing. Fadnavis emphasised: Maharashtra's readiness with charging infrastructure and EV policies His 2015 Tesla experience in the US, adding emotional weight to the launch. The government's aim to transform India into a global EV hub. He added: 'Tesla is more than just a car company. It's about design, sustainability, and innovation.' No 'Made in India' Teslas yet as import duties double car prices Although Tesla has begun sales and service operations, the cars are currently imported, likely from its Shanghai Gigafactory. A 24,000 sq. ft. warehouse at Lodha Logistics Park in Mumbai will support storage and spare parts. Tesla has received a trade certificate from Mumbai's Andheri RTO, enabling test drives and demo sales. Union Heavy Industries Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy confirmed Tesla has no manufacturing plans in India—yet. Despite the excitement, India's import tariffs remain a challenge. Tesla's prices here are almost double compared to those in Europe and the US due to steep customs duties. Elon Musk has previously: Asked for a 70% duty cut for EVs under $40,000 Requested a complete waiver for more premium models However, India's government declined, with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal reiterating that EV policy will stay open and not favour any one automaker. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump criticized potential India-based manufacturing as potentially 'unfair' to American jobs. Inside Tesla's Mumbai showroom : Premium design meets EV innovation The Mumbai showroom design reflects Tesla's sleek international branding, with: White walls and minimal layouts Lightboxes showcasing Tesla tech Indian touches curated by architect Neeta Sharada Tesla's message in India is clear: "Experience our cars, feel the future, and drive the change." While Tesla's launch in India has undoubtedly stirred excitement, the absence of a local production facility keeps prices high and scalability limited. But as demand grows and policies evolve, many believe Tesla may soon explore Made-in-India production. Until then, the EV race is heating up. And as Anand Mahindra aptly said, there's 'plenty of road ahead.' Also Read | Simpsons prediction of Labubu doll goes viral: Video sparks fear about creepy toy's dark origins
Economic Times
3 hours ago
- Economic Times
Rogue bots? AI firms must pay up
When Elon Musk's xAI was forced to apologise this week after its Grok chatbot spewed antisemitic content and white nationalist talking points, the response felt depressingly familiar: suspend the service, issue an apology and promise to do better. Rinse and isn't the first time we've seen this playbook. Microsoft's Tay chatbot disaster in 2016 followed a similar pattern. The fact that we're here again, nearly a decade later, suggests the AI industry has learnt remarkably little from its mistakes. But the world is no longer willing to accept 'sorry' as sufficient. This is because AI has become a force multiplier for content generation and dissemination, and the time-to-impact has shrunk. Thus, liability and punitive actions are being discussed. The Grok incident revealed a troubling aspect of how AI companies approach accountability. According to xAI, the problematic behaviour emerged after they tweaked their system to allow more 'politically incorrect' responses - a decision that seems reckless. When the inevitable happened, they blamed deprecated code that should have been removed. If you're building systems capable of reaching millions of users, shouldn't you know what code is running in production?The real problem isn't technical - it's philosophical. Too many AI companies treat bias and harmful content as unfortunate side effects to be addressed after deployment, rather than fundamental risks to be prevented beforehand. This reactive approach worked when the stakes were lower, but AI systems now operate at unprecedented scale and influence. When a chatbot generates hate speech, it's not embarrassing - it's dangerous, legitimising and amplifying extremist ideologies to vast legal landscape is shifting rapidly, and AI companies ignoring these changes do so at their peril. The EU's AI Act, which came into force in February, represents a shift from reactive regulation to proactive governance. Companies can no longer apologise their way out of AI failures - they must demonstrate they've implemented robust safeguards before AB 316, introduced last January, takes an even more direct approach by prohibiting the 'the AI did it' defence in civil cases. This legislation recognises what should be obvious: companies that develop and deploy AI systems bear responsibility for their outputs, regardless of whether those outputs were 'intended'.India's approach may prove more punitive than the EU's regulatory framework and more immediate than the US litigation-based system, focusing on swift enforcement of existing criminal laws rather than waiting for new AI-specific legislation. India doesn't yet have AI-specific legislation, but if Grok's antisemitic incident had occurred with Indian users, then steps like immediate blocking of the AI service, a criminal case against xAI under IPC 153A, and a demand for content removal from the X platform would have been Grok incident may mark a turning point. Regulators worldwide are demanding proactive measures rather than reactive damage control, and courts are increasingly willing to hold companies directly liable for their systems' shift is long overdue. AI systems aren't just software - they're powerful tools that shape public discourse, influence decision-making and can cause real-world harm. The companies that build these systems must be held to higher standards than traditional software developers, with corresponding legal and ethical question facing the AI industry isn't whether to embrace this new reality - it's whether to do so voluntarily or have it imposed by regulators and courts. Companies that continue to rely on the old playbook of post-incident apologies will find themselves increasingly isolated in a world demanding AI industry's true maturity will show not in flashy demos or sky-high valuations, but in its commitment to safety over speed, rigour over shortcuts, and real accountability over empty apologies. In this game, 'sorry' won't cut it - only responsibility writer is a commentator ondigital policy issues (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Rumblings at the top of Ola Electric The hybrid vs. EV rivalry: Why Maruti and Mahindra pull in different directions. What's best? How Safexpress bootstrapped its way to build India's largest PTL Express business Zee promoters have a new challenge to navigate. And it's not about funding or Sebi probe. Newton vs. industry: Inside new norms that want your car to be more fuel-efficient Stock Radar: UltraTech Cements hit a fresh record high in July; what should investors do – book profits or buy the dip? F&O Radar | Deploy Bear Put Spread in Nifty to gain from index correction Weekly Top Picks: These stocks scored 10 on 10 on Stock Reports Plus
