The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter and owned by Elon Musk, has just introduced a new image-generating feature to its Grok assistant, named Aurora. Launched on a Saturday, this feature has piqued the curiosity of many users who are eager to see what it can do.
Aurora, similar to the previous image generator added to Grok a few months ago, appears to operate with very few restrictions. It’s accessible through the Grok tab on both mobile apps and the web version of X. Users have found that Aurora can create images featuring public and copyrighted figures, such as Mickey Mouse, without any issues. However, it seems to draw a line with explicit content, although it doesn’t entirely restrict graphic imagery, with some users able to generate contentious images.
The origins of Aurora remain somewhat unclear. Announced by staff at xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup responsible for many of X’s AI enhancements, it’s uncertain whether Aurora was developed in-house, built on existing technology, or created through collaboration, much like its predecessor Flux.
Users have praised Aurora for its ability to produce photorealistic images, especially landscapes and still lifes. However, it’s not without flaws. Some images created have shown oddities, like objects awkwardly merging and people missing fingers—highlighting the common challenges image generators face with replicating human hands accurately.
Aurora’s introduction coincides with X making the Grok assistant freely available to all users. Previously, Grok was part of an $8-a-month Premium subscription plan. Now, free users can interact with Grok, sending up to 10 messages every two hours and generating up to three images per day.
In other developments, xAI has recently secured $6 billion in funding. The company is reportedly developing a standalone app for Grok and may soon release a new iteration of its model, Grok 3. These advancements mark exciting times for both X and xAI, promising more innovative features on the horizon.
