Elon Musk claims new AI model is ‘better than PhD level in everything’ just days after Grok controversy

Artificial general intelligence might be nearer than we think according to Elon Musk's latest comments, as the tech billionaire has claimed that the latest Grok model is 'better than PhD level in everything'.

The technology world is firmly entrenched in an AI race, where many of the biggest companies are battling against each other to achieve the most advanced and intelligent model on the market.

While ChatGPT undoubtedly dominates in terms of a user base, rival LLMs from Google, Apple, and Microsoft all aim to offer something different to users, and that can come in the form of intelligence.

Elon Musk and xAI's 'Grok' might be the most advanced when it comes to pure aptitude though, if you believe its creator that is, as the richest man in the world has now claimed that Grok 4 is "the smartest AI in the world," as reported by the Independent.

How intelligent is Grok's latest model?

Grok 4, which was unveiled and released on Wednesday with a grand showing from xAI CEO Musk, is allegedly the most intelligent AI model currently available across the globe.

Musk claims that it has received 100 times more training than Grok 2, which was released in August last year, and that perhaps could be due to the lucrative partnership between the AI company and social media platform X after a major buyout.

"It is remarkable to see how quickly artificial intelligence is evolving," Musk outlined in the reveal, boasting that "Grok 4 is smarter than nearly all graduate students in all subjects simultaneously," and would be able to achieve near-perfect results in corresponding exams.

He also predicted that Grok 4 could produce the first "watchable half hour" of television created entirely by AI by the end of the year, and admitted that while it "may lack common sense," it also holds the potential to create new technology.

Does Grok 4 fix the controversial issues?

One of the biggest questions many will have going into Grok 4 is whether it has successfully tackled the barrage of 'inappropriate posts' that were generated by the chatbot in recent weeks.

What began as claims of 'white genocide' in South Africa escalated to support for Adolf Hitler, antisemitic remarks, and criticism of foreign governments - to the point where one major country has completely banned Grok for its citizens.

While the official Grok account on X responded to the controversial remarks by claiming it was aware of recent comments and was "actively working to remove the inappropriate posts," Musk's comments regarding Grok 4 remain cryptic and unclear.

"The most important thing for any AI is to be truth seeking," the billionaire outlined. "You can instil the right values to be truthful, honorable, and the values you want to instil in a child you hope to grow up to be incredibly powerful."

This doesn't necessarily indicate that Grok's latest version will be free from spouting far right rhetoric, especially as Musk previously urged X users to help train the chatbot with "divisive facts" and "things that are politically incorrect, but nonetheless factually true."