If you’re a frequent user of chatbots and AI tools, you’ll probably have heard of Grok AI.
The large language model (LLM), developed by Elon Musk’s AI firm xAI, is modelled on comedy sci-fi series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and claims to have a “bit of wit” and a “rebellious streak” according to a statement published by xAI.
Musk believes that Grok outperforms other chatbots available today, including the likes of Llama and Perplexity AI. To demonstrate this, the CEO posted a side-by-side comparison of Grok answering a question about a recent interview he did with Joe Rogan with another AI bot, which he said did not have current information.
“Elon Musk’s last Interview with Joe Rogan was on October 31, 2023. In the interview, they discussed topics such as the Tesla Cybertruck, Musk’s ownership of X (formerly known as Twitter), the Covid Pandemic, and making Mars habitable,” Grok responded.
When asked what Joe Rogan was wearing, the chatbot continued: “During his interview with Elon Musk on October 31, 2023, Joe Rogan donned a blonde wig with a Puerto Rico baseball jersey.”
The other chatbot was unable to answer this question, instead giving a broad biography of Rogan.
Grok might have performed better than the undisclosed chatbot in this unique scenario, but does that really mean that it is better than other chatbots, especially ChatGPT — the leader in the space?
In this article, we explore some of the key differences between Grok AI vs ChatGPT, comparing the chatbots' respective features, advantages, and limitations to find out which one is better.
What is Grok?
Grok is a chatbot launched in November 2023 by Elon Musk’s xAI. It was developed as an initiative by Musk as a direct response to the rise of OpenAI's ChatGPT, which Musk also co-founded.
Grok has been characterized as "anti-woke" by both its users and Musk himself, who had previously criticized OpenAI for training ChatGPT to be “politically correct”.
The chatbot is trained on a Massivetext and Massive Code datasets including books, articles, web documents, and even social media posts from the social platform X — though this hasn’t been confirmed by Musk.
Since its launch in 2023, Grok has seen rapid improvements in its responses and capabilities, with its latest version, Grok 3, blending “superior reasoning with extensive pretraining knowledge”.
How Do You Access Grok?
Grok was initially only available to a select group of beta testers participating in xAI's Premium+ program. However, in March 2024, Grok became available to all subscribers on X, with Premium users receiving enhanced access and features.
Grok's codebase (Grok-1) was also made open-source as part of this update. This means anyone with the technical expertise can access and potentially modify the underlying code of the chatbot, and while this doesn't grant direct access to the full functionality of Grok, it opens doors for further development and exploration by the tech community.
Key Features of Grok
Grok AI boasts several key features that make it a powerful conversational AI tool. Here's a breakdown of the chatbot's key strengths:
1. Conversational
Like many other chatbots available today, Grok excels at natural language processing (NLP), enabling engaging and informative conversations. It understands context and responds in a way that feels human-like.
2. Enhanced text understanding and multimodal
Grok 3, the latest version of the chatbot, is said to have much more computational power and utilises tools like DeepSearch and Big Brain Mode, reaching new performance standards. This allows for better execution in technical tasks and more advanced reasoning in data-led areas like mathematics and science.
3. Real-time data access from X
Grok leverages its connection to the X platform for potentially accessing real-time information. However, it's crucial to be mindful of potential biases and misinformation present on social media.
4. Reasoning capabilities
Grok isn't just about parroting information — it can analyze data and draw conclusions. This is evident in its ability to answer open-ended questions and provide insightful explanations.
5. Humour and wit
One of Grok's unique features is its ability to use humour and sarcasm, making interactions more engaging. However, it's important to note that xAI emphasizes responsible use of humour, so expect it to be appropriate for most audiences. While this can be engaging, it's important to be aware of potential misunderstandings due to the cultural nuances and differences in comedy.
6. Open-source code (Grok-1)
Grok's was recently made open-source, allowing for wider development and contribution from the tech community. By opening the codebase (Grok-1), xAI allows for a degree of transparency into how Grok functions so developers can see the underlying algorithms and potentially identify areas for improvement or address potential biases.
This openness not only fosters trust in Grok's capabilities but also allows the chatbot to progress more easily thanks to input from its users.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an LLM trained on a massive dataset of text and code from the internet, allowing it to engage in conversations and answer questions on any topic from the user.
Developed by OpenAI, the chatbot can generate human-quality text, translate languages, write different kinds of creative content, and most importantly, hold engaging conversations on various topics.
ChatGPT was one of the first chatbots of its kind when it launched in November 2022. It's largely credited with setting off the AI revolution that has gripped Silicon Valley over the past year or so, and has since reached over 180 million users and is backed by tech giants such as Microsoft and Inosys, making OpenAI a frontrunner in the AI race.
But that doesn't mean ChatGPT is the best chatbot in the world – it just means it's the oldest. Since its launch, many of the other chatbot providers have since borrowed OpenAI's GPT LLM to use in their own, specialised chatbots, meaning that there are many chatbots out there with similar capabilities to ChatGPT.
How Do You Access ChatGPT?
Unlike Grok which is only available to premium subscribers, ChatGPT comes in both a free and paid version.
Like Perplexity AI, ChatGPT comes in two versions:
- Free GPT-4o version: This is the most widely available version, accessible through the ChatGPT website and open to anyone. It uses the GPT-4o language model and offers basic conversational capabilities, creative text generation, and information retrieval.
- Paid GPT-4.5 version (ChatGPT Plus): This premium version offers advanced features and capabilities compared to the free one. It uses the more powerful GPT-4.5 language model, making it more accurate and more up-to-date.
Key Features of ChatGPT
ChatGPT has a range of features for answering questions, generating content, and communicating with the user. Some of its key features include:
1. Conversational abilities
Thanks to its powerful natural language processing capabilities, ChatGPT is great at producing natural-sounding conversations. It can respond to your queries in a way that mimics human interaction, adapting its tone and style to fit the context.
2. Text generation
ChatGPT also excels at generating different creative text formats, allowing you to create poems, scripts, musical pieces, emails, letters, and more. You can provide it with prompts or specific instructions, and it will craft unique and engaging text content.
3. Diverse applications
ChatGPT's capabilities extend beyond simple conversations. It can translate languages, summarize information, write different kinds of creative content, and even answer your questions in an informative way, even if they're open-ended, challenging, or strange.
4. Adaptability and personalisation
One of ChatGPT's key features is its ability to learn and adapt. The more you interact with it, the better it understands your preferences and communication style. This personalisation aspect can lead to more meaningful and relevant interactions over time.
5. Constant development
ChatGPT is constantly being updated and improved by one of the world's leading AI research teams. This means its capabilities are expanding all the time, offering users access to new features and functionalities.
6. API access
Thanks to OpenAI's open-source API, you can integrate ChatGPT into your own applications and projects to leverage its capabilities. This makes it incredibly versatile and available for use by both developers and end users.
Grok vs ChatGPT: Which is Better?
According to various Benmark tests, Grok appears to perform better than many other chatbots available today, including ChatGPT.
A study by Latenode found that ChatGPT is better for creativity and content creation, while Grok 3 excels at STEM-based subjects and technical reasoning. Grok was also faster at coding than GPT, and accesses data in real-time via X.
But like other LLMs currently available including ChatGPT, xAI notes that Grok is not 100 per cent accurate and “can still generate false or contradictory information”.
What Makes Grok Different From ChatGPT?
Grok has been trained using a custom training and inference stack based on Kubernetes, Rust, and JAX. It’s running a custom LLM called Grok-1 that's trained using real-time data from the X social media platform and data scraped from the web.
ChatGPT, on the other hand, is built on the GPT LLMs, which are trained entirely on publicly available data taken from the internet. It has web-browsing capabilities, allowing it to generate the most up-to-date responses.
Grok AI vs ChatGPT: Which Should You Choose?
Determining which AI chatbot is "better" for you between Elon Musk's Grok AI and ChatGPT depends on your specific needs and preferences.
Both chatbots have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between them may depend on the specific tasks or applications you have in mind.
Grok is the better choice if you value:
- In-depth conversations: Grok excels at understanding complex topics and handling long-form content.
- Humor and wit (controlled): Grok injects some personality into conversations, but responsibly.
- Open-source exploration (for developers): Grok's codebase allows developers to delve into its inner workings.
On the other hand, ChatGPT is a a better choice if you prioritize:
- Creative text generation: ChatGPT is known for its ability to craft poems, code, scripts, and other creative formats.
- Large user community: ChatGPT has a wider user base, potentially leading to more online resources and tutorials.
- Established platform: ChatGPT has been around longer and might offer a more polished user experience.
Ultimately, the best way to decide which chatbot is right for you is to try them both out and see which one you prefer. You can also consider factors such as pricing, availability, and your specific needs when making your decision.
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