The wait is over as all X users now have access to Elon’s unawakened “Grok” AI chatbot, which was previously only available to X Premium subscribers. This is less than 1% of the platform’s users.
With Grok, users can ask questions, generate images (even better with X’s new Aurora integration), analyze posts to get more context about what they mean, and write cheeky responses. (via “Unhinged Fun” mode), etc.
However, it remains to be seen whether AI chatbots will have a real place within social media apps. With the latest wave of generative AI tools, Meta is building its AI chatbot into nearly every app, while LinkedIn is also adding more and more AI elements to “help” the posting process.
But is it really helpful to have an AI tool generate posts on your behalf and post them to a social media app built around real-life social, human-to-human interactions?
I think we can have a discussion about what defines “social” interaction in this context. But until now, the idea of social media has been to provide an opportunity for everyone to share their thoughts and opinions, thereby democratizing the media to some extent.
In that case, posting AI-generated posts and images seems to go against that. right?
Therefore, it is unclear whether there is long-term value in integrating Gen AI into social apps.
Are we saying that the potential of generative AI as a whole has been overhyped? There are many ways to use AI to streamline workflows and improve processes, and it will be transformative in many fields and applications. .
But the real value of generative AI, at least through currently available products, is when you know what you want from the AI and you have sufficient expertise and insight to analyze its output. only if you have it.
For example, Gen AI makes it easier for lawyers to investigate cases. For example, you can ask your lawyer to come up with another angle to an argument that they haven’t considered, or you can find a case that establishes a precedent. Because of those approaches. While this can potentially save you a lot of time, it is still important to have a good understanding of the legal process, whether the output provided by the legal process is correct, and how to cross-examine your case to put this to practical use. You need to have a good understanding of how to check.
Therefore, it is unlikely that an untrained person will be able to act as a legal representative, but it is possible that existing professionals will be able to perform their duties more professionally.
This is true for virtually all applications, where AI is an adjunct, not a replacement. But the hype around AI is all about how it will soon be able to think for itself, outwit other people, and come up with more efficient ways to free up more people from work.
But that’s not the case. While artificial general intelligence (i.e., computers that think for themselves) is far from reality, current AI models are little more than smart spreadsheets. So while it’s not the revolution the hype machine suggests, it often has unique and practical value.
I don’t think social media is one of them. See why Meta is committed to AI as a potential tool to simplify next-level AR and VR experiences by enabling people to build their own digital worlds without any coding knowledge. Ta. I see a future there, but I don’t see much value in AI chatbots outside of novel uses.
And I don’t know why people would try to use Grok in any significant way.
Certainly, there are some moderately interesting use cases, such as analyzing trends in X or using Grok to find information about broader X usage trends and analytics. There may be niche uses, but for the majority of people, I don’t think adding Grok will really improve the X experience.
or Facebook Experience, or IG. Because while platforms seem excited about image generators and bots pretending to be your friends, most people are using AI to create random visuals or talk to reproductions of people who aren’t. I believe that there is no interest in that. Actually authentic.
Because none of these uses are “social.” They are not representative of your experience, do not connect you to the wider world, and do not show your perspective. They’re just bots, and bots are always a nuisance in social apps.
And even if AI were to reshape the brand, I don’t think it would make them even more appealing.
