xAI to Open-Source Grok AI Chatbot Amid Musk's OpenAI Criticism

Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, is set to open source its Grok chatbot this week. This move aligns with Musk's long-held belief that artificial intelligence (AI) should be readily accessible to all, a principle he feels OpenAI has abandoned.

Musk announced the decision via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, "This week, @xAI will open source Grok."

Open-sourcing a software like Grok means making its source code publicly available and redistributable. This offers numerous advantages, including increased flexibility for organizations to find solutions to problems without relying solely on internal teams.

"OpenAI is a Lie"

The announcement follows criticism from Musk regarding OpenAI's deviation from its original mission of developing AI for the benefit of humanity.

When a user suggested that OpenAI should follow suit and open source its technology, Musk responded bluntly: "OpenAI is a lie."

Musk's Advocacy for Open-Source AI

Musk has been a vocal proponent of open-source AI for some time. During a podcast with Lex Fridman in November of last year, he expressed his preference for this approach, stating, "I am generally in favour of open sourcing, like biassed towards open sourcing."

The release of Grok by xAI came after a reported four-month development period. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to this by sarcastically referencing building Grok with a single prompt on GPT Builder.

"GPTs can save a lot of effort," Altman remarked.

Musk responded to Altman's jab with a more extensive message, stating that "GPT-4 is about as funny as a screendoor on a submarine.”