X Aims for Deeper Incorporation of Grok’s AI Technology, App Analyst Discovers

Elon Musk’s platform X is expanding the functionality of xAI’s Grok within its social media application. Recent explorations reveal X is crafting features such as querying Grok for insights on X profiles, utilizing Grok to interpret selected text within the app, and accessing a Grok chatbot via a sidebar pop-up, enabling multi-tasking within the app.

These insights were divulged by independent digital app analyst Nima Owji, known for proposing potential feature enhancements for X on social media. Owji stumbled upon these new functionalities on X’s website on July 5, as reported to TechCrunch, though they appear not to have been released to the general public yet.

Owji noted an instance whereGrok could be activated from a sidebar while navigating X, akin to checking DMs from a miniature window atop the app’s main interface.

This approach is reminiscent of how tech giants like Google and Microsoft incorporate chatbots within their applications, providing users sidebar access to AI functionalities. Such a feature positions Grok as a readily available assistant for X users, facilitating real-time interactions, including post engagements or new information inquiries.

Further integration scenarios illustrate Grok’s potential to become a seamless aspect of the X ecosystem.

For example, Owji discovered uses of Grok for analyzing X user profiles and searching within posts on X. In a notable update users might soon click a button to gather details about an X account, though specifics on the information provided remain vague. (One might speculate this feature would elaborate on Grok’s current capability to summarize X profile information.)

A particularly intriguing upgrade would allowinstant queries to Grok by highlighting text within an X post.

Engaging with this feature, users could select text, then initiate a Grok search via a prompt, simplifying the process of investigating news or other content across X.

Initially introduced to the then-named Twitter app last year, Musk’s Grok aimed to enhance the Premium Plus subscription offering. Faced with growing competition from entities like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, X broadened Grok’s access to include its mid-tier Premium subscribers in March.

Despite this expansion, according to app analytics firm Appfigures, X’s in-app purchase revenue saw a decline, noting $7.6 million in May 2024, down from previous months. Appfigures speculated that the frequent but low-content postings by creators aiming to drive views, coupled with the cost of Premium subscriptions, may contribute to this trend. Additionally, X faces an increasingly crowded marketplace with competitors including Instagram’s Threads, Mastodon, Bluesky, and the newly emerged noplace.

Yet, it’s possible X’s rebranding phase is still influencing its download metrics, with the platform registering 3 million downloads in May, signifying a 32% decrease year-over-year, as outlined by Appfigures.