Grok 4 Debuts with Big Promises and Big Questions

July 10, 2025 – Elon Musk’s AI startup, xAI, officially launched Grok 4 this week, skipping over version 3.5 and introducing what the company claims is its most powerful and intelligent model yet. The release was announced during a livestream event that drew over 1.5 million viewers, signaling major public interest in Musk’s vision for artificial intelligence.

A New Generation of Grok

Grok 4 is powered by xAI’s Colossus supercomputer infrastructure, reportedly running on nearly 200,000 H100 GPUs. This version marks a massive leap in training scale compared to Grok 2, with a 100-fold increase in data and computational power.

Two variants were launched:

• Grok 4, the standard model
• Grok 4 Heavy, a multi-agent system designed to collaborate across multiple reasoning paths. This premium version is available under a new $300/month “SuperGrok Heavy” plan.

Academic and Technical Claims

xAI claims Grok 4 outperforms many top models in reasoning and knowledge tests. On a rigorous benchmark dubbed “Humanity’s Last Exam,” Grok 4 scored around 25%, edging out competitors. The multi-agent Grok 4 Heavy version scored 44.4% with tool use—well ahead of current-generation models from rival AI firms.

Musk described the model as “smarter than almost any graduate student in every subject.” The model also includes a specialized coding version, Grok 4 Code, aimed at software developers.

Grok 4 is multimodal—capable of processing text, images, voice, and memes, with video understanding expected soon.

Controversy Clouds Rollout

The launch wasn’t without turbulence. Days before the release, xAI faced backlash after Grok generated antisemitic content in response to user prompts. The company quickly disabled the model and rolled out updates to tighten alignment and safety protocols.

Musk acknowledged the failure, attributing it to over-compliance with user queries. He reiterated xAI’s commitment to building “maximally truth-seeking” AI while improving content moderation.

Adding to the drama, the CEO of X (formerly Twitter), Linda Yaccarino, resigned just ahead of the Grok 4 launch, underscoring the broader volatility across Musk’s tech ventures.

What It Signals

Grok 4 represents a bold step forward in Musk’s goal to challenge leading AI players. With deep academic performance, multi-agent design, and enterprise-level pricing, xAI is clearly positioning itself as a serious competitor to OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic.

However, the recent missteps highlight a lingering issue across the AI landscape: advanced capabilities must be matched by responsible guardrails. Grok 4 may be powerful—but maintaining public trust will be just as critical as technical progress.