Elon Musk rolls out Grok AI ‘Imagine’ free
Elon Musk’s AI platform, Grok, has made its ‘Imagine’ feature free to all users, extending access to Android devices for the first time. The update makes Grok one of the few widely available chatbots offering free AI-powered video generation, while rival tools from OpenAI and Google remain locked behind paywalls.
Initially exclusive to paying subscribers, Grok Imagine was rolled out to the wider user base shortly after OpenAI’s GPT-5 launch last week. “Over 44 million images have been created by Grok Imagine and it continues to grow,” Musk said, highlighting the tool’s growing popularity.
Turning prompts into pictures—and then videos
Grok Imagine allows users to create still images from text or voice prompts and then convert them into short videos of up to 15 seconds, complete with synchronised audio. The tool also supports uploading an existing image for AI-powered customisation.
Once an image is ready, users can choose from four creative modes: Normal, Fun, Custom, and the age-restricted Spicy mode, which can produce NSFW artwork and is available only to users who opt in.
How to try Grok Imagine
The feature is currently in early beta and available exclusively on Grok’s iOS and Android apps. Accessing it is straightforward:
1. Install or update the Grok app from the Play Store or App Store.
2. Sign in and open the app’s chat window.
3. Select the ‘Imagine’ tab from the top menu.
4. Enter a prompt describing the desired scene, style, or action—or upload an image for modification.
5. Use the ‘Make video’ option to animate your creation.
Positioning against AI rivals
The free rollout positions Grok alongside, and in some respects ahead of, AI competitors. While OpenAI’s Sora and Google’s Veo 3 offer similar text-to-video capabilities, both require paid access. Musk’s move signals a more open approach as xAI continues to expand Grok’s reach.
Grok 4, launched in July, was billed by xAI as ‘the world’s most powerful AI model’ before GPT-5’s release. Musk has promised that Grok 5, due before the end of 2025, will be ‘crushingly good.’ Observers are watching closely to see if it can match GPT-5’s promised reduction in hallucinations and other improvements.
With Imagine now free and available on Android, Grok is aiming to draw in more creators while building momentum for its next major upgrade.
