New Tesla vehicles will now come with Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot. There is already considerable AI in most cars and the apps we use to make our driving easier. Think Google Maps orWaze, or a digital assistant like Alexa. Driver-assist functions like smart cruise control, lane keeping assist, and collision detection with emergency braking all involve some level of AI.
AI has been part of our lives for years, and for the most part, it has been a good thing. Long beforeChatGPT took overassignment writing for students, AI was used to perform repetitive and boring tasks accurately. It excels in quick medical diagnoses. It can absorb massive amounts of historical data and use it to predict one or more likely future outcomes. Even interactive AI in your car is great, allowing you to phone or text someone without taking your eyes off the road. AI that does its thing in the background, or with minimum fuss, is great.
The problem is that everybody is trying to make youuse AI in situations where you don’t wantor need it. AI for the sake of AI sucks. Grok is recognized as a powerful AI tool, but for now, in your Tesla, it does not interact with the car in any way. It’s just there. And that is unfortunate.
How to opt out of Grok using your X data to train its AI, while you still can
The Data Sharing toggle is now activated by default, and you have to opt out of the setting manually.
Tesla and the unfortunate timing of Grok
From Doge to trash-talking app
There are several reasonswhy Tesla’s sales are down, but Musk’s political activities over the past eight months are by far the most visible of these. Grok, too, has had some spectacular things to chat. About a week ago, it went on an anti-Semitic rant and referred to itself as MechaHitler. Although this was blamed on a software glitch, parent companyX’s CEO resignedshortly after the incident.
Whatever the reason for Grok’s outburst, it was not the kind of sentiment that would resonate with most US drivers, especially not the demographic that traditionally supported EVs in general and Tesla in particular. It also brings Tesla CEO and Grok owner Musk’s political baggage back to the fore, just when we were all distracted by the Epstein list.
This makes adding Grok to Tesla cars puzzling.
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Grok’s current function in your Tesla
Not that much
Tesla vehicles already have an excellent voice command system that can interact with the car and the environment it is in. you may use it to control apps, control vehicle functions like windshield wipers, for navigation, to call or text someone, and find and listen to music.
Grok does not do that. At the moment, it acts more as a digital friend in your car. you’re able to ask it questions, get news summaries, and it can even tell you stories. There are various personality settings, ranging from normal to storyteller, unhinged, romantic, and more.
What Grok can become
Think of how often you interact with your smartphone compared to your car. In your car,you have infotainmentand reminders to fasten your seat belt, stuff like that. Cars can do a lot more than that, and it is probably in this area that Grok will most likely shine in the future.
Chinese car brands already provide way more interaction with their drivers and passengers, bordering on an emotional engagement. The car will sense which driver is about to get in and adjust the seating position and steering wheel accordingly, set the climate control to your preference, and switch to your favorite radio station or music app. you may use the AI assistant to find parking and pay for it, remind you of appointments, and estimate how long it will take to get there. It will learn your daily routines and tell you if there are problems on the route, and suggest a better alternative.
Elon Musk has great experience in China and understands how drivers there interact with their cars. This is probably the functionality for Grok he has in mind.
Two opposing opinions
It is possible to have conflicting opinions about closely related things. I disagree strongly with Elon Musk’s politics and general world view. I also consider him a visionary who made great cars until the Cybertruck. I dislike Grok’s gutter talking points, but I believe AI like that will make our cars a better driving experience.
Hopefully, Musk will work on his timing and concentrate on building cars rather than creating controversy. If he can also turn Grok from a trash-talking yokel into a valuable digital asset, that will be a bonus.
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