Reports suggest that Elon Musk's social platform X is planning a major initiative: making the AI chatbot Grok, previously exclusive to paying subscribers, available to a broader audience for free.

Feedback from several app developers and platform users indicates that Grok is already accessible without charge in certain regions. Media sources have confirmed that X is currently testing the free availability of Grok in New Zealand.

However, the free version of Grok comes with restrictions. The Grok-2 model allows only 10 queries per day, while the Grok-2 mini model permits 20 queries daily. Additionally, the image analysis feature is limited to three queries per day. To ensure the responsible use of the free Grok, user accounts must be registered for at least seven days and linked to a phone number.

This August, xAI, the AI division of the X platform, launched the Grok-2 model with image generation capabilities and added image understanding features last month. These functionalities were previously available only to X's paying users. By offering Grok for free, xAI aims to expand its user base, accelerate product feedback, and better compete with other AI models in the market, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

As AI technology continues to advance and become more widespread, an increasing number of platforms are integrating AI features to attract users. By making Grok available for free, X is likely to gain more attention and users, while also fostering the further development and application of AI technologies.

Nonetheless, the usage limitations of the free Grok have sparked discussions among users. Some believe these restrictions may impact the user experience, while others understand that they are necessary for the platform to maintain service quality.