Things were quiet and peaceful, until a force disrupted everything.
Since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, others quickly realized the potential of Large Language Models in making generative AI tools to capable. Other businesses, big and small, started developing their own take of the technology.
And billionaire Elon Musk has what it's called the 'xAI,' which develops generative AI exclusively for X, a platform he also owns.
The AI startup began when it introduced its first image-generation model, Flux, which was integrated into the Grok assistant.
After announcing Grok-2, xAI quietly released 'Aurora,' which is essentially an enhanced version of Flux.
This AI is purposefully designed to produce highly photorealistic images.
Early user reports suggested Aurora creates highly realistic images of real people, with some users sharing AI-generated photos of Sam Altman and Scarlett Johansson that look remarkably close to actual photographs.
The photo was generated and shared for humorous or satirical purposes.
Back in May, the Hollywood actress had expressed her anger when Altman had OpenAI copied her voice, in order to give ChatGPT a voice like Her.
There are also more than a handful of astonishingly realistic-looking AI-made photos that include Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and more.
Others include celebrities.
Some X users have also generated photos of fictional characters and close up of things, all of which have great amount of details.
What’s even more astonishing is that xAI released Grok-2 alongside Aurora with very minimal restrictions.
Unlike many other AI models that avoid generating images of copyrighted figures and public personalities, Grok-2 can create such content.
Additionally, it allows for some degree of depictions involving violence and substance use, pushing the limits of what AI-generated media can portray.
What this means, it can also create images and logos, like the German Nazi's swastika.
And just like its predecessor, this Aurora can also generate some level of nudity, and create some provocative poses.
While it’s uncertain whether Aurora is built on a modified version of the existing Flux model or represents an entirely new image generation system from xAI, a team member at X describes it as "brand new."
What’s clear is that xAI continues advancing its AI image generation capabilities with increasingly realistic outputs.
And each image features a watermark in the bottom-right corner, ensuring transparency.
Despite ongoing concerns about potential misuse for creating misleading content, Elon Musk’s company once again pushes the boundaries of AI technology.
However, for unknown reasons, xAI soon revoked access to the AI.
When it was 'leaked', xAI made Aurora accessible to all X users, with free users capped at three image generations per day and X Premium subscribers enjoying unlimited access.
Despite some users reporting access issues, Aurora's beta version shows great potential and is expected to improve rapidly.
Grok-2 with Aurora represents a significant leap forward in AI image generation.
With its photorealistic capabilities and fewer restrictions, Aurora is poised to revolutionize the way people create and interact with digital images.
A day later, xAI seemingly changed its mind, and officially released the AI to the public.
— xAI (@xai) December 9, 2024
In a blog post on its website:
"Grok can now generate high-quality images across several domains where other image generation models often struggle. It can render precise visual details of real-world entities, text, logos, and can create realistic portraits of humans."
xAI added that with Aurora, Grok-2 is enhanced to be able to take images as input, which should in turn give users greater creative control and flexibility
The company said that Grok's new capabilities are now available on the X platform in select countries, and should roll out to all users within a week.