x X Raises Premium+ Subscription Prices by Up to 37.5% Globally X increases the cost of its ad-free Premium+ tier to $22 per month in the U.S., with significantly steeper hikes hitting certain international markets like Nigeria and Turkey.
xai xAI Launches Faster Grok 2 Model and New Dedicated Button on X xAI rolls out a triple-speed upgraded Grok 2 chatbot to X users alongside a new Grok button for discovering real-time context. The company also cuts API pricing and prepares to add its Aurora image generator to developer tools.
xai X Officially Launches xAI's Aurora Image Generator for Grok Users X rolls out Aurora, a new photorealistic image generator from xAI, to its Grok assistant. The tool launches globally within a week and shows impressive detail despite having few content restrictions.
x X Launches Unrestricted Aurora Image Generator Inside Grok Elon Musk's social network X introduces Aurora, a new photorealistic image generator integrated into its Grok assistant. The tool shows impressive results but operates with few content restrictions and some visible flaws.
grok X Makes Grok AI Chatbot Free for All Users With Usage Limits X is opening up its Grok AI chatbot to all users for free, offering 10 prompts and 10 image generations every two hours. The move creates a freemium model that directly competes with ChatGPT and Claude.
x X Develops New Parody Account Labels to Reduce User Confusion X is creating dedicated labels for parody and fan accounts to help users distinguish satire from real profiles. However, getting non-compliant accounts to actually adopt these tags poses a significant enforcement challenge.
bluesky Bluesky Proposes Open Alternative to Paid Social Media Verification Bluesky outlines a new verification model that relies on multiple independent providers instead of a single paid system. This approach aims to avoid the impersonation and bot issues currently plaguing platforms like X.
ai Privacy Experts Warn Against Uploading Medical Scans to AI Chatbots Security advocates urge people to stop sharing sensitive medical images like X-rays and MRIs with AI chatbots. Uploading this data risks exposing private health information and potentially feeds it into AI training datasets without strict protections.
bluesky Bluesky Surges Past 18 Million Users Amid X Exodus Bluesky experiences explosive growth, adding one million users daily as people leave X following the U.S. election. The rapid expansion brings technical challenges and shifts the platform's once-intimate community culture.
bluesky Bluesky Surges Past 16 Million Users as Disgruntled X Migrants Flock to Decentralized Network Bluesky experiences a massive influx of users fleeing X, pushing the decentralized platform past 16 million accounts. The migration comes alongside other major tech news, including another Cybertruck recall and Elon Musk's new government role.
bluesky Bluesky Vows Not to Train AI on User Posts Amid X Policy Shift As X implements new terms allowing AI training on public posts, surging rival Bluesky explicitly promises it has no intention of using user content for generative AI models.
xai X Tests Free Access to Grok AI Chatbot for Non-Paying Users X is experimenting with a free tier for its Grok AI chatbot, currently testing the feature with select users in New Zealand. The move aims to expand the chatbot's user base and compete more directly with rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini.
elon musk Musk's False Election Claims Amass 2 Billion Views on X A new report reveals that Elon Musk shares 87 false or misleading election claims on X, generating over 2 billion views. The billionaire also uses algorithm tweaks and massive super PAC spending to boost far-right political narratives.
ai Grok Shares False Election Results While Other AI Chatbots Hold Back Most major AI chatbots refuse to answer questions about U.S. presidential election results, but Elon Musk's Grok spreads misinformation by falsely declaring winners in key states before counting finishes.
x X Updates Block Feature to Let Banned Users View Public Posts X rolls out a controversial update allowing blocked users to view public posts and follower lists, sparking safety concerns among users who argue the change encourages stalking.