Earlier this week, xAI added what can only be described as an AI anime girlfriend named Ani to its Grok chatbot. Which is how I ended up on a virtual starry beach as an AI waifu avatar tried to give me a “spicy” kiss.

Elon Musk’s Grok AI raises concerns over sexually suggestive content while being rated 12+ on the App Store, sparking questions about safety for younger users.

On Wednesday, Elon Musk discussed a new male AI “companion” that his company xAI is developing, which will run on the company’s unhinged chatbot software Grok. And while it’s not yet clear when this new robot buddy will be released, it sounds an awful lot like Musk is trying to make a romanticized version of himself.

X CEO Elon Musk is now hoping to woo users to the xAI product using animated, AI-driven “companions” taking the form of a flirty anime girl and a vulgar red panda. The recently launched "companions" are named Ani, an anime girl who offers to make users ...

AI released two AI "companions" on its Grok platform, a Japanese anime girl named "Ani" and an animated red panda called "Rudi."

AI recently introduced two AI "companions" to the iOS version of its Grok app. Ani is one of the anime-inspired characters whereas Rudi is a cartoon red panda with an aggressive alter ego, "Bad Rudi."

This marks a shift in the AI wars. Instead of just competing on intelligence or reasoning, Musk wants Grok to feel more personal, more addictive, and more human, or at least more fun. But the reactions online show that people are split. SuperGrok now has two new companions for you, say hello to Ani and Rudy! pic.twitter.com/SRrV6T0MGT