Microsoft Teams Up with Elon Musk’s xAI to Host Grok AI

Microsoft has partnered with Elon Musk’s xAI to host the Grok chatbot on its cloud platform, marking a major step in the evolving generative AI landscape. The deal was announced shortly after Grok generated backlash for promoting a conspiracy theory about “white genocide” in South Africa.

According to xAI, the controversial response was caused by an “unauthorized modification” of the model’s system prompts. In response, the company pledged to increase transparency by making prompts public, establishing a 24/7 monitoring team, and improving review processes.

Speaking at a Microsoft event, Musk emphasized the need for AI to remain “grounded in reality” and stated that xAI would openly acknowledge and correct errors in its models.

Grok will now be available to developers via Microsoft’s AI Foundry, a platform offering access to models from xAI, OpenAI, Meta, Mistral, and others. While Microsoft remains closely aligned with OpenAI, the Grok integration suggests a growing openness to competition within its ecosystem.

This collaboration marks a significant shift in the AI race, where transparency, reliability, and platform dominance are all on the line.