Tag: Grok AI

  • Scammers Exploit X’s Grok AI to Distribute Malicious Links

    Scammers Exploit X’s Grok AI to Distribute Malicious Links

    Key Takeaways

    1. Grokking Exploit: Scammers use “Grokking” to hide harmful links in the From field of promoted posts, bypassing link restrictions on X.

    2. System-Trusted Accounts: Grok’s account is seen as “system-trusted,” allowing harmful links to slip past scrutiny and gain visibility.

    3. SEO Boost for Malicious Links: When Grok interacts with a post, it enhances the SEO and domain reputation of the linked content, leading to increased reach.

    4. Dubious Content Promotion: The promoted links often lead to fake captcha scams and malware, exploiting ad networks to monetize clicks.

    5. Evasion of Security Checks: Disguised posts evade X’s review process, lacking any scanning for malicious links, making them difficult to detect.

    Cybersecurity expert Nati Tal, who leads Guardio Labs, has pointed out a new exploit involving Grok AI that enables scammers and threat actors to get around link restrictions on promoted posts, allowing them to share harmful links on X.

    The Grokking Method

    This technique, referred to as “Grokking,” consists of concealing a link in the From field of a paid promotion and prompting Grok to locate the source of that boost. When Grok identifies the link in the From field, it inadvertently includes it in its response, increasing its visibility significantly.

    Tal explains that the reason this tactic is effective is that Grok’s X account is considered “system-trusted,” meaning it does not face the same checks or scrutiny as other accounts. Even more troubling is that these promoted posts gain engagement and rack up “100k to 5M+ impressions” with Grok’s reply appearing underneath.

    SEO and Domain Reputation Boost

    When Grok is invoked to provide an answer, it also enhances the SEO and “domain reputation” of the links, as they are “echoed by Grok on a post with millions of impressions!”

    Tal warns that these links “navigate through dubious ad networks, monetizing clicks with ‘direct links’ known to promote fake captcha scams, info-stealer malware, and other questionable grey-area content.” He emphasizes that this method renders the links “fully visible, clickable, and impossible to miss.”

    Disguised Malicious Content

    The disguised posts are often labeled as “video card” posts, accompanied by “adult content baits” that somehow evade X’s review process. Tal asserts, “There is no scanning for malicious links whatsoever on X! Yet, it is still hardly noticeable at this spot.”

    Interestingly, Grok replied to a user just underneath the post, providing a broken link when the user asked for the correct link to report the issue.

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  • Elon Musk’s Grok AI Launching on Microsoft Azure AI Foundry

    Elon Musk’s Grok AI Launching on Microsoft Azure AI Foundry

    Key Takeaways

    1. Microsoft is working on integrating Elon Musk’s Grok AI model into the Azure AI Foundry for software developers.
    2. Grok will be accessible via Microsoft’s toolkit and hosted on its servers, requiring no additional training for developers.
    3. This integration is part of Microsoft’s strategy to offer diverse AI models and expand its AI platform.
    4. Microsoft is exploring multiple AI models, including those from Meta and Anthropic, amid ongoing tensions with OpenAI.
    5. No formal partnership between Microsoft and xAI has been announced, but more details may emerge at the upcoming Microsoft Build conference on May 19.

    Over the past few weeks, engineers at Microsoft have been working on incorporating Elon Musk’s Grok AI model into the Azure AI Foundry, as reported by The Verge. It is thought that software developers utilizing Azure AI Foundry will eventually have the ability to integrate Grok into their applications, alongside having direct access to the AI itself.

    Integration Details

    If the model makes its way into Azure, it will be accessible via Microsoft’s toolkit and hosted on its servers, eliminating the need for developers to undergo any training. However, the extent of the integration remains unclear at this stage. It’s important to note that Grok is not being trained on Microsoft’s servers, as xAI decided to create its own infrastructure after ending a previous agreement with Oracle.

    Broader Strategy

    This move aligns with Microsoft’s larger strategy to provide flexible access to a range of AI models. The company has been actively expanding its AI platform, incorporating as many externally developed models as it can. Earlier this year, they swiftly introduced DeepSeek’s R1 model. Moreover, Microsoft is already utilizing or exploring other AI models in internal tests, including those from Meta and Anthropic. Grok is a part of the same objective to diversify the offerings available on the Azure cloud service.

    Current Relationships

    The timing of this decision is particularly interesting, especially given the ongoing tensions between Microsoft and OpenAI. In addition, there are continuing legal disputes between Elon Musk and OpenAI, complicating matters further. While Microsoft maintains a close working relationship with OpenAI, it is also increasingly focusing on other artificial intelligence models.

    No formal announcements have been made yet regarding a partnership between Microsoft and xAI. However, with the Microsoft Build conference scheduled for May 19, there is a possibility that more details about this new collaboration and its specifics will be revealed at that event.

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  • Musk’s xAI Acquires X for $33 Billion in Stock Deal

    Musk’s xAI Acquires X for $33 Billion in Stock Deal

    Key Takeaways

    1. Elon Musk’s AI firm xAI acquired X for $33 billion, valuing the company at $45 billion after accounting for $12 billion in debt.
    2. X has over 600 million active users and has seen an increase in stock price since its launch in 2006.
    3. xAI, founded in 2023, aims to “understand the universe” and its Grok AI is now among the top three AI models globally.
    4. xAI received $6 billion in Series C funding, allowing for an upgrade of their supercomputer, Colossus, to 200,000 Nvidia Hopper GPUs.
    5. The acquisition may change how Grok accesses public data on X, raising concerns for users about the potential use of their data by AI.

    Elon Musk’s AI firm, xAI, has bought X for $33 billion in a deal entirely made with stock. This amount reflects a valuation of $45 billion, taking into account $12 billion in debt. In 2022, Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion in cash, later rebranding it to X.

    User Engagement and Growth

    Musk pointed out that X boasts more than 600 million active users and remains a favored site since its debut in 2006. The stock price of the company has also seen an increase in recent years.

    Milestones for xAI

    Founded in 2023 with private funding, xAI aims to “understand the universe.” Its Grok AI has surged up the Chatbot Arena Leaderboard, now ranking among the top three AI models globally. Grok was developed on a supercomputer named Colossus, which features 100,000 Nvidia Hopper GPUs.

    In December 2024, the company secured $6 billion in Series C funding from a variety of investors such as Blackrock, Kingdom Holdings, Morgan Stanley, and Sequoia Capital. This influx of capital will enable xAI to upgrade Colossus to a 200,000 Nvidia Hopper GPU supercomputer.

    Implications for Data Access

    Currently, Grok has the ability to access public posts on X, and the recent acquisition may alter the data access for xAI’s AI, as Musk said, “Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent.” Users worried about the permanent use of their X data by AI might want to consider switching to alternative social media networks and deleting their X accounts.

    For those interested in exploring new applications with the open-source Grok AI model, a powerful Nvidia GPU is available for purchase on Amazon.

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    Musk's xAI Acquires X for $33 Billion in Stock DealMusk's xAI Acquires X for $33 Billion in Stock Deal
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  • Try Grok AI Assistant for Free: Available to All Users Now

    Try Grok AI Assistant for Free: Available to All Users Now

    X has made its Grok AI chatbot available for free to everyone. We first learned about the free version of Grok last month, when X began testing it in select countries. Now, it seems that this feature is accessible all around the globe.

    Availability and Limitations

    As noticed by X user @blankspeaker, xAI’s main chatbot is now being rolled out to all users on the platform. Previously, this chatbot was only for X Premium and X Premium Plus subscribers. As anticipated, the free version has some limitations; users can ask only 10 questions every 2 hours and analyze just 3 images each day. To get more access, people will need to subscribe. These limits are much stricter compared to the free versions of ChatGPT and Claude.

    How to Access Grok

    Currently, Grok is only available through the X platform, though there are rumors of a standalone app being developed. To try it out, sign into your X account and look for the Grok tab on the left sidebar if you’re on desktop. If you’re using the mobile app, it can be found in the bottom navigation bar, third from the right.

    Competitors and Future Prospects

    For those who don’t know, Grok is a generative AI chatbot made by Elon Musk’s AI firm, xAI. While it competes directly with ChatGPT and Claude, it hasn’t received much attention due to its limited access. Launching a free tier is a positive move, but Grok still has a significant distance to cover before it can truly compete with others in the market.

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