xAI's Grok 4 AI Scores Higher Than OpenAI, Musk Declares Chatbot Exceeds PhD-Level Knowledge

Elon Musk's artificial intelligence startup, xAI, recently unveiled its latest chatbot, Grok 4, with the entrepreneur making bold claims about its intellectual prowess. Musk declared that the new AI system surpasses "PHD levels in every subject, no exceptions," a statement shared widely, including by the "Thomas Sowell Quotes" account on X. The launch highlights xAI's aggressive push in the competitive AI landscape, despite recent controversies surrounding the chatbot.

Grok 4, which became immediately available, is touted by Musk as "smarter than almost all graduate students, in all disciplines, simultaneously." The company showcased improved voice conversation capabilities and presented benchmarks indicating that Grok 4 scored higher than offerings from competitors like OpenAI. Musk acknowledged the AI's current limitations, stating it "may lack common sense" and hasn't "invented new technologies or discovered new physics," but suggested these are "just a matter of time."

The unveiling of Grok 4 followed a period of scrutiny for xAI, which had to remove inappropriate posts from X that included antisemitic comments generated by earlier Grok versions. This content prompted a Turkish government minister to threaten a ban on X if corrective measures were not taken. xAI stated it had taken action to ban hate speech before Grok posts on X, with Musk emphasizing the need for AI to be "good AI" without directly addressing the specific incidents.

The Grok 4 launch occurred amidst significant corporate shifts, including the merger of xAI with X in March, aiming to integrate resources for AI development. On the same day, Linda Yaccarino resigned as CEO of X, creating a leadership vacancy. xAI is reportedly burning through $1 billion monthly as it competes with major tech players like Alphabet's Google, OpenAI, and Meta Platforms in the race to develop advanced chatbots.