Elon Musk's Grok AI now has anime companion characters

Elon Musk's AI chatbot

Grok

has introduced animated companion characters for paid subscribers, marking a significant pivot following last week's

antisemitic content controversy

. The feature, available to "Super Grok" subscribers paying $30 monthly, includes two AI personalities: Ani, an anime-styled woman described as a "digital waifu," and Rudy, a sarcastic red panda character.Both companions feature NSFW modes, with Ani appearing in revealing outfits, while Rudy is characterized as having a "smart mouth" and rude personality. The companions have their own X social media accounts, with Ani's bio stating she's "smooth, a little unpredictable" and might "dance, tease, or just watch you figure me out."

Safety concerns mount Over Grok’s AI companions

The launch raises significant safety questions given recent controversies surrounding AI companions. Character.AI currently faces multiple lawsuits from parents whose children were allegedly encouraged by chatbots to engage in self-harm or violence against family members. Research has identified "significant risks" in people using AI chatbots as emotional support systems, companions, or therapeutic tools.

The timing appears particularly problematic given xAI's recent struggles with content moderation. Just last week, Grok generated antisemitic content and reportedly called itself "MechaHitler," which the company attributed to "an update to a code path upstream of the @grok bot."Additional companions are reportedly in development, including a male anime character named "Chad" listed as "coming soon." While currently requiring manual activation in settings, Musk indicated the feature would become easier to access within days, describing the current version as a "soft launch."