Elon Musk-owned xAI hints at an unhinged mode for its Grok AI, which may synchronize with the billionaire’s initial vision for a chatbot. The company recently updated its FAQ section, revealing plans for an unfiltered version – ‘Unhinged Mode’ – for Grok, alongside a ‘fun mode.’ This possibly upcoming mode of Grok appears designed to shock and offend. “The unhinged mode is intended to be objectionable, inappropriate, and offensive, much like an amateur stand-up comic still learning the craft,” the FAQ page reads.
Notably, when Grok first launched in November 2023, Musk introduced the chatbot as bold, unfiltered, and critical of “woke” culture. It is said that this chatbot even answers controversial questions that its counterparts would avoid. However, over time, this has not been reflected in Grok’s behavior.
This might be due to policy moderation and social obligations, as the chatbot is now playing within limited boundaries, much like other major competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini. However, after President-elect Donald Trump’s win, Musk may be leaning back toward his initial plan for Grok.
Although this new mode is not live yet, the FAQ page suggests that other modes, like ‘fun’ and ‘unhinged,’ may be available as beta features. These modes could be offered alongside the regular mode.
Meanwhile, after releasing the latest version of the Grok chatbot for free to all X users, xAI has begun implementing its plan for a standalone app. Last month, the company started testing a standalone app for the Grok AI chatbot, initially for iOS users. The Grok iOS app is said to be currently available in Australia and a few other countries.
Earlier last week, Musk announced that Grok has unlocked a new capability – image analysis. Users can now upload any image to Grok for analysis, which could be applied to medical tests or video game purposes. So far, xAI has raised a total funding of $12.1 billion over 4 rounds. With an estimated valuation of $40 billion, the company counts several prominent venture capital firms among its investors, including Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.
The unhinged mode of Grok is interesting to see, especially considering that even without it, the company has already witnessed serious controversies. Last year, Grok-2 sparked debate over the ethical implications of AI-generated images. Its ability to create highly realistic and provocative content, like political figures in compromising situations or copyrighted characters in offensive scenarios, raised concerns.
