xAI recently released a new version of Grok, labelled as "Grok 2 + Aurora", which retains the core functionality of Grok but adds the ability to create images through a new in-house image generation model developed by xAI. Until now, Grok relied solely on Flux for image generation, an open-source project by BlackForestLabs. This new feature marks a step toward making Grok more independent. On Saturday, the image generation capability appeared in the drop-down menu for all users across web and mobile platforms, allowing users to experiment with it.
Initial results were promising but varied depending on the prompts. In some cases, Grok 2 plus Aurora performed similarly or slightly better than Flux, but in others, it fell short. Elon Musk acknowledged that this is just the first iteration of the model and assured that it would improve rapidly. Later the same day, the option disappeared from the drop-down menu, sparking speculation about whether it was an accidental deployment or intentional production testing. There is no confirmed timeline for the feature’s return, but it is expected to be reintroduced soon, possibly within December.
Additionally, xAI expanded Grok’s availability to free users in several countries. A new banner promoting the Grok feature appeared, making it accessible even to non-Premium users. However, usage is limited for free users—they are allowed up to 10 messages every two hours and three image analyses daily. The rollout appears to be ongoing, as some users have reported that the option is not yet visible to them. It’s expected that the availability will expand further in the near future.
Rumors suggest that December might also bring the release of Grok 3, which could coincide with the broader rollout of the image generation feature. This update is anticipated to introduce further improvements, solidifying Grok’s position as a versatile AI assistant.