Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is reportedly going to integrate xAI’s recently introduced AI model, Grok AI, into its vehicles.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed earlier this year that Tesla would work closely with his new startup, xAI.
Grok will run “native” in Tesla cars
When he formed the xAI startup, Musk indicated he wanted to create a truth-seeking AI. He said the company’s mission was to “understand the true nature of the universe.”
Musk revealed in a post on the X platform, formerly Twitter, the release of the project, an AI model known as Grok.
Tesla will now integrate the new AI model into its electric vehicles. The company has been actively involved in the adoption of AI to optimize operations and has built Tesla bots to do some mundane duties in the assembly line.
In a feedback report, Brian Roemmele, a beta tester, indicated that a “small quantized” version of Grok AI will run “native” in the electric vehicle maker using local compute power.
According to Electrek, Musk liked the report.
“Provided our vehicle computer is able to run the model, Tesla will probably have the most usable inference on earth. Even in a robotaxi future, the cars will only be used for 1/3 of the hours per week, leaving 2/3 for distributed inference, like SETI,” he said.
According to the Electrek report, Tesla has increasingly emphasized voice commands in its vehicles. This would be “a natural progression to have an AI assistant inside the vehicle.”
This comes as Musk has also indicated that “all input is an error,” as he wants Tesla vehicles to anticipate the needs of the owner and get things done as they are needed.
Also read: How Elon Musk Intends to Rival ChatGPT with ‘Grok’
More plans for Tesla
According to the Electrek article, Grok AI now appears to be part of the plan at Tesla. But there are no clear timelines yet for the integration of Grok AI into Tesla vehicles. However, the new AI model is already accessible to a select few.
According to xAI, Grok AI is modeled after “the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, so it is intended to answer almost anything.”
“Grok is designed to answer questions with a bit of wit and has a rebellious streak, so please don’t use it if you hate humor!” said xAI.
But it seems AI integration is not the only plan in Tesla’s project pipeline. According to a source who spoke to Reuters, the electric vehicle maker is planning to build a 25,000-euro car, or approximately $26,838 at its factory in Berlin.
This comes as electric vehicles have been pricey for ordinary people. High interest rates add to the steep price. The average electric vehicle price in Europe in the first half of 2023 was 65,000 euros, according to auto research firm JATO Dynamics. This is in contrast to China, where they average 35,000 euros.
However, Musk earlier indicated his plans to build an electric vehicle for the mass market but revealed he had “not yet mastered the technology and shelved the plan.”
Tesla targets expanding into the mass market and increasing vehicle deliveries to 20 million by 2030.
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