xAI opens Grok 4 to all, Auto and Expert modes available without subscription

xAI has announced that its advanced AI model, Grok 4, is now accessible to all users, effective this past Sunday. This significant update follows the model's initial launch last month, which was limited to subscribers of the SuperGrok and X Premium plans. The company made this announcement via its platform, highlighting that the expansion is applicable on a global scale. To encourage exploration of its latest language model, xAI is providing generous usage limits for a limited time to users on the free tier. This rollout comes shortly after Elon Musk, the owner of xAI, opened the Grok Imagine feature for generating videos and images to all users in the U.S. at no charge. Additionally, it follows the recent unveiling of OpenAI's GPT-5 model, which is now available to all registered users. Grok 4 introduces two distinct modes for free-tier users: Auto and Expert. The Auto mode automatically assesses whether a prompt necessitates a more thorough response or if a quicker, less intensive answer is adequate. Conversely, the Expert mode allows users to manually select a reasoning mode if they find the default response lacking. However, access to the most robust version, Grok 4 Heavy, remains exclusive to SuperGrok Heavy subscribers. Similarly, Grok Imagine, which offers multimedia generation capabilities, will not be available to free users outside the U.S. Meanwhile, paying subscribers continue to enjoy higher request limits for all features. In a recent discussion, Musk revealed plans to integrate advertisements within the Grok interface, suggesting that ads might be incorporated into answers and suggestions on both the website and mobile applications. He mentioned the need for additional revenue streams to offset the high costs associated with the GPUs that drive the chatbot, although he did not clarify how advertisements would be labeled. By extending Grok 4’s availability, xAI aims to enhance user engagement while maintaining certain premium features behind a paywall.