How a game may be behind Elon Musk delaying Grok chatbot’s next update

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI has reportedly delayed the next update of its Grok artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for a game. A report claims that this comes after the company’s owner expressed dissatisfaction with the system’s ability to answer detailed questions about the video game Baldur’s Gate 3. A Business Insider report cited people familiar with the matter to claim “a [Grok] model release was delayed for several days because Musk was dissatisfied with how the chatbot answered detailed questions about the video game 'Baldur's Gate’”.

Sources also told Business Insider that Musk pushed for Grok to improve its understanding of League of Legends, one of his preferred games, elevating gaming knowledge as a development priority. To address the issue, Musk reportedly assembled employees into a “war room,” a structure he reportedly uses to address urgent problems, with one such group tasked with improving the chatbot’s performance in answering gaming-related queries.

What xAI employees said about Grok’s video game training

Recently, Grok has been criticised not only for its performance but also for reports of xAI as a demanding, fast-paced work environment. This is based on reports from xAI employees stating that the company’s small size means issues are like fires to be extinguished, with teams assembled in war rooms to address pressing problems that can linger. This approach is said to create pressure and internal conflict.

Another point of discussion is Musk’s reported encouragement to improve Grok’s gaming skills, including League of Legends. It has been questioned whether it is necessary to invest in AI’s gaming skills when human players can provide information more efficiently.

The report also mentions the critics who noted that Google’s Gemini AI chatbot had difficulty completing Pokémon. The chatbot is said to take more than 800 hours to complete the game, underscoring how hard it is to train AI to handle complex gameplay.

People are now wondering what Musk's plans are for Grok and whether his focus on the AI's gaming abilities aligns with AI's overall goals. AI is becoming increasingly important in the entertainment industry, which is why this conversation is happening now.