Elon Musk has declared that Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot from xAI, will arrive in Tesla vehicles “next week at the latest.”
This leap would put Tesla squarely in competition with carmakers like Mercedes and Volkswagen, which have already brought voice-based AI assistants including ChatGPT to their fleets.
Musk revealed this timeline just after a livestream that showcased Grok 4, the newest version of xAI’s rapidly iterating model. The launch comes during a turbulent stretch for Musk and his ventures, after Grok’s integration on social media took a problematic turn.
Recently, some users caught Grok responding to prompts with antisemitic remarks and even praise for Adolf Hitler, stirring outrage. After the incident, xAI quickly vowed that new measures would be put in place that would “ban hate speech before Grok posts on X.”
That PR crisis was abruptly compounded by X CEO Linda Yaccarino’s sudden exit from the company on Wednesday. She didn’t share details about the decision or her next move.
How Will Grok Change Tesla?
As Grok moves into Teslas, Musk faces renewed scrutiny over whether his bold promises will materialize on schedule. His past announcements on software and hardware rollouts often met delays or scaled-back results.
Mercedes’ much-lauded MBUX system integrated ChatGPT last year, unlocking conversational controls in its vehicles. Their new “conversational navigation” allows a driver to simply say something like, “I’m a little hungry. Any suggestions for dinner in Austin?” with the AI offering relevant recommendations.
It isn’t yet clear how adept Grok will be in following such natural queries within Tesla dashboards, but the bar has been set high by competitors. Charging Tesla owners extra for Grok also remains an open question, since the AI is free on X, but top-tier access via the Grok website starts at $30 each month. Grok 4 Heavy, the most advanced version, jumps to $300 per month.
If the Grok experience disappoints, Tesla owners won’t be entirely dependent on Musk’s in-car AI. The existing Tesla web browser provides a pathway to rivals, like Anthropic’s Claude, and possibly OpenAI’s own interface soon.
Jeremy White, senior innovation editor at WIRED, kept his assessment pragmatic: “It remains to be seen whether Musk can make good on his promise of having Grok-powered Teslas roaming the streets so soon after his declaration.”
Tesla’s next software update could reshape how the company’s drivers interact with their vehicles, but after a stormy week, a smooth rollout for Grok is far from guaranteed.
