AI IMAGE GEN
X briefly introduced a new image generator called Aurora in its Grok assistant.
The tool was live for a few hours on Saturday but later became unavailable to some users.
Aurora, like the earlier model Flux, has few restrictions.
It can create images of public and copyrighted figures, such as Mickey Mouse, without issues.
While nudity seems restricted, some graphic content, including violent images, was reportedly possible during tests.
In brief:
Aurora creates lifelike images of landscapes and objects but struggles with details like hands and blending.
Free users on X can now generate up to 3 images a day through Grok, which was previously limited to Premium subscribers for $8 a month.
Aurora was announced by xAI staff, but it’s not known if it was made in-house, built on existing tools, or developed with a partner.
The Grok freebie era begins
Aurora’s origins remain uncertain. xAI, Elon Musk’s AI startup responsible for many of X’s features, announced it on Saturday but didn’t confirm if it was trained internally or made with others.
One xAI team member mentioned helping to fine-tune the model.
The tool produces impressive photorealistic images but is not perfect.
Users shared examples of images with unnatural blending and missing fingers, a common issue for AI generators.
X recently made Grok free for all users.
Free accounts can send up to 10 messages every two hours and generate 3 images daily. This was previously available only to Premium subscribers.
In other news, xAI raised $6 billion and is reportedly working on a standalone Grok app and the next version of its AI model, Grok 3.
Aurora’s out here flexing but blending objects like it’s abstract art.