Grok 3 is free: 5 things we tried with Elon Musk’s answer to ChatGPT

The latest AI model from xAI has shown some stellar results across academic and real-world user benchmarks. Now, Grok 3 is available for all to try. Below is a compilation of things we tried with Elon Musk’s ChatGPT rival. 

First impressions

Much like DeepSeek-R1 and OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the homepage of Grok 3 has the input right at the centre, and it displays options— Attach file, DeepSearch and Think on the left side, and AI model picker and Enter options on the right. From the start, it is evident that a reasoning model has been embedded into it. Users can easily switch between standard AI functions and the “reasoning mode”. Strangely, the interface is eerily similar to ChatGPT.

On the web interface, one can spot the temporary chat in the top right corner before the history tab and profile icon. Temporary chat is a feature that allows users to access a conversation mode where their chat history is not saved. In this mode, all the conversations will be auto-deleted from the system within a 30-day window.

Grok 3 homepage which offers a similar interface to ChatGPT and Deepseek chatbots.

At the bottom of the input window, there are options such as Research, Brainstorm, Analyse Data, Create Images and Code, showcasing the versatility of the model. The AI model can also search the web; to access it, one needs to select the drop-down from the input window and select the Enable Search option. The chatbot also allows users to switch between Grok 2 and Grok 3. Grok 3 can be accessed via X, grok.com, and its new dedicated application on iOS.

Research capabilities

To try the DeepSearch capabilities, I used a prompt related to the conservation of house sparrows in India. I began my research by using the prompt, “What is the state of the species House Sparrow in India?” Within 46 seconds, the chatbot scoured 101 sources and presented information. Similar to DeepSeek-R1, one could see the thinking process here too, the same self-talk and evaluation as seen in humans when answering questions.

Grok 3 engaging in some serious thinking over its response.

A snapshot of the detailed report Grok 3 assembled for me.

Grok 3 produced a detailed report with key points, an overview, a conservation status, and causes for decline, a legal framework, complete with key citations. Further, I engaged with the chatbot with related questions such as conservation efforts in the last decade and to explain that the DeepSearch capabilities on Grok 3 can be a great tool in the arsenal of avid learners. 

Image generations and analysis

Grok 3 is capable of generating hyperrealistic images. The chatbot instantly creates images that can be further refined based on the need. Also, it offers four options at a time and instant customisation options at the bottom. With image generations, Grok 3 is handy. However, the same cannot be said for its image analysis capabilities. To test Grok 3, we uploaded the vintage poster of a Malayalam film, “Sreekrishnapurathe Nakshathrathilakkam”. While the chatbot described the poster as from an old film and identified the language accurately, it struggled to come up with the correct name on the poster. The chatbot read the name of the film as “Anandapurathu Vaykk,” which did not make any sense.

To test image analysis, we used a complex image with a different langague. (Poster credit: Nostalgicmovieposters.com)

However, the second time, we uploaded an old photograph of Macintosh SE. Grok 3 correctly identified the object in the picture. “This is a Macintosh SE, a personal computer designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple Inc. from March 1987 to October 1990. The Macintosh SE, where ‘SE’ stands for “System Expansion,” was an enhancement of the original Macintosh with features like an internal hard drive, an expansion slot, and a more powerful processor (the Motorola 68000 running at 8 MHz),” read the response.

Next, we asked Grok 3 to create a poster for the below text: “Join us for the Teachers’ Day celebration on February 26 at 10 AM at the National Art Gallery, New Delhi!” Grok 3 struggled to generate an accurate poster.

Two posters generated by Grok 3.

Much like ChatGPT or Gemini, Grok 3 is not able to generate images with written text, although it may get the text correct in parts. However, it may succeed if it has only a few words.

Some image samples of happy otters generated using Grok 3:

Playing riddles

As part of this hands-on, I tried using some age-old riddles that have been dubbed as the toughest on the internet. While ChatGPT was engaging with motivational emojis with each correct answer I gave, Grok 3 took its time to analyse my responses logically to verify them. Evidently, with ChatGPT, it seemed more like competing with a friend, while Grok 3 was more of the angry professor, who was cross-checking all my responses.

Grok 3 asked me, “I can fly without wings, cry without eyes, and be caught but never held. What am I?” I responded with the correct answer—cloud. Below is a snapshot of how Grok 3 assessed my response and concluded it was correct.

Grok 3 caught me the second time when it asked me a seemingly tough riddle: “I am taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?” Coal was my response, which was incorrect. Here’s a glimpse of how Grok 3 arrived at a conclusion.

On deeper questions

Does Grok 3 have a personality? As I have been using different chatbots for months now, I have grown accustomed to responses with some element of sass. I asked Grok-3 and ChatGPT, “What does it mean to be alive?” While ChatGPT produced a listicle spanning different perspectives, Grok 3 came up with a nuanced response that felt deep. For instance, the closing lines of ChatGPT’s response are, “Technological Perspective—With advances in AI and synthetic biology, questions about what qualifies as “alive” are expanding. Could highly advanced AI or digital consciousness one day be considered “alive”?

On the other hand, Grok 3 concluded its response with the below words. “I’m an AI, so I don’t tick the biological boxes—I don’t eat, grow, or make little Groks. But I’m here, chatting with you, adapting, and processing. Does that count? Maybe being “alive” isn’t just about cells and DNA—maybe it’s about impact, interaction, or just being part of the dance of existence. What do you think? Is it the heartbeat, the mind, or something else that makes “alive” feel real to you?”

Based on our experience, Grok 3 sounds more human-like than GPT-4o.

Content creation

Since Grok 3 has access to a vast reservoir of knowledge owing to X, we asked the model to help us with some content creation tasks. In my opinion, Grok 3 can be a great AI tool for competitor analysis for budding entrepreneurs. Imagine you are setting up a small business that offers iPhone cases and want to know what kind of conversations are happening online. Grok 3 can show you some of the latest tweets. We used the prompt “Find tweets about iPhone 16 cases, share them with URLs.” The chatbot pulled out the most relevant tweets and even described them. 

Next we asked Grok 3 to create a content marketing plan for a small business selling customised iPhone 16 cases. We used the prompt, “Create a one-month content marketing plan for a small business selling customised iPhone 16 cases. Include image posts for social media.” In response, Grok 3 shared a detailed plan identifying the right platform, content strategy, and image descriptions. The chatbot didn’t generate images as part of the plan; however, it did so after two additional prompts after it produced the plan.

Roadmap for marketing and sample images (right) generated by Grok 3.

Hours after it was launched, Grok 3 became No. 1 on the Chatbot Arena Leaderboard. xAI’s chatbot has caused quite a stir in the AI community by showing all that LLMs can achieve. The chatbot instantly became the first AI model to cross the 1,400 benchmark score in the Arena rankings. Grok 3 secured top spots in all categories, including coding, math and reasoning, creative writing, instruction following, and multi-turn conversations. Grok 3’s paid version is called SuperGrok, which is priced at $30 per month. The paid version gets increased Grok 3 limits, access to Grok 3 Thinking and DeepSearch, and unlimited image generation.

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