Earlier this week, Grok launched two animated AI companions for user interaction, including a flirty anime girl who reveals lingerie after enough compliments. Now, Grok is expanding its lineup with a third character—this time modeled on what xAI CEO Elon Musk believes women find attractive.
Musk Unveils Stern Anime Male Character, Seeks Name Suggestions
On Tuesday, Musk shared on X a picture of the new companion: a serious-looking anime man in a black suit. Musk explained the character’s personality draws inspiration from Edward Cullen of Twilight and Christian Grey from Fifty Shades of Grey. The latter is an erotic novel originally based on Twilight fanfiction.
He invited followers to propose names, responding positively to suggestions like Nyx, Taki, and Andrej. The name “Andrej” likely references Andrej Karpathy, cofounder of OpenAI and Tesla’s former senior AI director. Musk joked about having Andrej’s voice do AI tutorials “only if Andrej agrees.” Karpathy replied playfully, and Musk quipped back with a humorous revenue share figure.
Hints at More AI Companions and Broader Appeal
Musk also hinted at future companions, including one inspired by Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. While the female AI has sparked largely sexualized online conversations, the male character has mostly ignited excitement among men, who view him as a “bro” figure. There’s speculation about how his confirmed name might influence various cryptocurrencies.
Popular name suggestions include “Chad,” a slang term for a man deemed attractive by peers. Whether the male AI will feature any “unlockable” lingerie-style looks remains unknown. When asked if the new character would be another NSFW companion like the female “waifu” AI or a contrarian health influencer, Musk quipped, “Whatever winds your clock.”
What The Author Thinks
Elon Musk’s approach to AI companions mixes genuine technological advancement with provocative entertainment. While these characters capture user attention with their stylized personas, the line between innovative AI tools and novelty distractions becomes thin. This raises questions about the seriousness of AI development when playful features—like lingerie-revealing anime bots—dominate headlines. For AI to earn long-term trust, developers must balance engaging personalities with meaningful functionality, rather than leaning too heavily on gimmicks.
Featured image credit: Inspenet
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