Grok 3 has arrived: The Most Intelligent AI in the World by xAI!

On February 18, 2025, xAI, the artificial intelligence company founded by Elon Musk, officially announced the release of Grok 3, described by Musk as “the smartest AI in the world.” Presented during a live stream, this new model marks a significant evolution from its predecessors, promising unprecedented reasoning, analysis, and research capabilities. Grok 3 is not a single model but a family of specialized variants designed to meet different needs, backed by a colossal computing infrastructure and new features that set it apart from competitors like OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini. Although the launch was delayed by a few months compared to Musk’s initial timeline, the result seems to justify the wait.

How Grok 3 and Its Variants Work

Grok 3 was trained using a data center in Memphis, Tennessee, equipped with around 200,000 Nvidia GPUs, representing a tenfold increase in computing power compared to Grok 2. This allowed the model to process vast amounts of multidimensional data, including scientific publications, legal documents, and real-time data collected from the X platform. The result is a family of AI models with specific variants, each optimized for distinct purposes:

1. Grok 3 (Base Version)

The main variant of Grok 3 is designed to deliver outstanding performance across a wide range of tasks—from complex reasoning to solving mathematical, scientific, and programming problems, as well as understanding natural language. According to xAI’s internal benchmarks, it surpasses GPT-4o in the AIME test (89% accuracy vs. 82%) and demonstrates a unique ability to connect multidisciplinary problems. It also includes image analysis capabilities and answers complex questions.

2. Grok 3 Mini

This version is optimized for speed and low latency, though it sacrifices some precision compared to the base model. In GPQA tests (PhD-level scientific problems), it achieves 92% of the main model’s accuracy. It’s ideal for users needing quick responses, such as in real-time chats or mobile applications with limited resources.

3. Grok 3 Reasoning

Designed for advanced reasoning, this variant integrates a multi-stage self-verification mechanism that reduces errors by 37% compared to previous models. It excels at solving complex problems requiring deductive logic, such as mathematical puzzles or scientific analyses. It also powers the new “DeepSearch” feature, which scans web content and X posts to synthesize detailed information and resolve conflicts between contradictory data.

4. Grok 3 Mini Reasoning

A lightweight version of the Reasoning variant, it combines speed with reasoning capabilities. While less powerful than the full version, it still offers significant improvements over traditional “mini” models, making it suitable for applications that require a balance between speed and accuracy.

One of the most notable new features is DeepSearch, an advanced search tool that scours the web and data from X to provide contextualized answers and in-depth summaries. For example, it can analyze political or scientific debates in real time, with 15% higher relevance than GPT-4o, according to xAI’s internal metrics. Additionally, Grok 3 supports code generation (e.g., Python and Rust) with integrated error testing and offers advanced computational abilities, such as planning space flights with real-time variables.

How to Use It

Grok 3 is exclusively available to subscribed users, with two distinct pricing plans:

• X Premium+: For $50/month (around €22.27 in Italy), this plan offers basic access to Grok 3 through the X app, with a limit of 200 queries per day. Users can interact with the chatbot directly from the social platform, leveraging real-time data integration from X.
• SuperGrok: Priced at $30/month or $300/year (a 16.6% discount compared to monthly payments), this plan removes usage limits, activates the Reasoning modes, and enables unlimited image generation through integration with Stable Diffusion 3. It’s accessible via the dedicated Grok app or the website grok.com.

To use Grok 3, X Premium+ users can find it within the X interface, while SuperGrok subscribers can download it as a standalone app on iOS (available February 28, 2025, 247 MB, requires iOS 17+) or pre-order it on Android through Google Play. The web version is already live at grok.com but currently limited to the United States due to geo-fencing restrictions that block IPs from the European Union and the United Kingdom. European users, including Italians, can bypass this restriction using a VPN with US servers or access the previous version, Grok 2, via X. xAI has promised an adapted version with European servers by Q4 2025.

Where It Was Released

Grok 3 was officially released on February 18, 2025, with immediate availability for subscribers in the United States. The web version is live on grok.com, and the standalone app will launch on the iOS App Store on February 28, 2025, with pre-orders open for Android. However, the release is currently limited to the US: European users, including Italians, cannot directly access it due to AI regulatory restrictions in the EU. xAI is working to comply with the European AI Act, but for now, access is only possible through a VPN or via X Premium+ subscriptions, which cost more in Europe (€25/month).

Future Outlook

xAI announced that Grok 3 will receive frequent updates, with improvements visible within 24 hours, and that a March 2025 update will introduce voice mode and emotion detection. Additionally, Grok 2’s source code will be open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license in May 2025, once Grok 3 has stabilized. With its impressive infrastructure and premium strategy, Grok 3 positions itself as a major competitor in the AI landscape, though its global availability remains a challenge to overcome.